Wisconsin schools focus on cyber security

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin school leaders are looking to get local schools help in dealing with cyber threats.

State Superintendent Jill Underly played host to a round table with cyber security experts and local school administrators focusing on online and cyber threats.

“In today’s world, it is absolutely critical that our school districts and libraries maintain the safety of their systems, and protect student and family information,” Underly said.

The round table comes after some schools in Wisconsin suffered a series of hacks last spring.

Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction already has a cyber security unit and has a list of precautions for local schools.

“It’s a sad fact that school districts in Wisconsin and across the U.S. continue to be targeted by cybercriminals,” DPI said at its website. “A wrong click can lead to a data breach, ransomware attack, fraud attempt, or other cyber incident that can impact school operations and/or expose private information. Preventing such incidents can be a daunting task for even the most resourceful school districts, and the reality is that cyberattacks are inevitable for every district, eventually.”

“One of the biggest challenges for our districts is overcoming barriers that may be standing in the way, like the cost of keeping hardware and software updated with small technology budgets,” Underly said.

Underly said there are some resources for local schools to deal with cyber security, but she said there could be more.

White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr. said the federal government can provide some of the money and training that local schools may need.

“It is absolutely necessary that we shift the bulk of the responsibility off the shoulders of school district and library administrators and onto organizations that are best positioned to reduce risk,” Coker said. “We are here to help – help direct those on the front lines of defending our schools and libraries and the digital systems that underpin them – to resources that can provide protection in the short-term and help alleviate the larger challenges that put you at risk in the long-term.”

Underly said in the meantime, there’s some cyber security help available at the state level.