President Biden recently signed a bill tasking the agency with evaluating the unique risks that schools face…

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Taking note of the unique challenges educational institutions face in securing their networks, President Biden has signed a bill into law directing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to look into ways that they can assist.

The bill, which also instructs the CISA to develop training tools for schools, will hopefully be the start of a new effort to reduce cyberattacks on K-12 institutions–institutions which have suffered over 1,200 such attacks since 2016.  While educational institutions face many of the same risks as banks and other commercial organizations, schools are often at a particular disadvantage due to a lack of funding for IT staff and equipment.  While the increase in cyberattacks has brought increased attention to the issue from parents and administrators alike, cybersecurity is still a relatively new risk in education and like many institutions major change can be a slow process.

According to the legislation, the CISA has 120 days to complete its review and issue a report to Congress.  While it will not be the only resource available to educational institutions, it is likely to go a long way in increasing awareness of the risks and challenges these vital organizations face.

Original article by Jenni Bergal, writing for the Pew Charitable Trusts for Nextgov.