Improving Cybersecurity Starts at the Endpoints
May 26, 2020 |
Security
Careful monitoring and attention to endpoints are just two elements of a strong cybersecurity strategy for K-12 districts.
Cybersecurity must be a top priority for K-12 schools. Schools need to prioritize thwarting industrious hackers who are intent on getting to the treasure trove of information and personally identifiable information (PII) schools manage.
Just ask the staff of the Olympia School District in Washington, whose addresses, social security numbers, and salaries were exposed by a large-scale data breach.
Yet despite the immense target schools present, it’s been difficult for educational institutions to make cybersecurity improvements. A 2018 SecurityScorecard report found, out of 17 major industries, the education sector ranked last in terms of cybersecurity performance. It performed poorly in several areas, including patching cadence, application security, and endpoint security.
Endpoints can be difficult to manage, in large part due to the sheer number of devices being used on school networks. It all amounts to potentially thousands of unsecured endpoints a school IT administrator must monitor throughout the day and evening.
Let’s look at some strategies administrators can employ to take control and protect these endpoints.