K-12 gets a boost with CISA board appointment of Doug Levin

The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been doing some great work toward securing K-12 schools from cyberattacks and other threats. CISA was formed in 2018 to streamline the many security programs that fell within the scope of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) but did not fit within any other DHS agency. Christopher Krebs, the first Director of CISA, explained it this way:

“…. over time as the threat landscape, particularly from a cybersecurity perspective, has evolved, and the Department’s role has been clarified and strengthened by Congress, it really became clear that the Department needed a single voice, a single agency or organization who was able to carry out the Secretary’s critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity authorities.”

School safety falls within the Infrastructure Security Division of CISA, and it refers to the cybersecurity and physical safety of public, private, and charter K-12 schools. The agency provides dozens of resources like assessment tools, tabletop exercises, and guidance on social media safety and mobile device privacy.

CISA recently announced the addition of Doug Levin (LinkedIn) to its Cybersecurity Advisory Committee. This committee provides recommendations to the CISA Director on matters of CISA policies, programs, planning, and training. The addition of Doug Levin is good news for K-12 schools, as it provides the committee and CISA with a strong voice for the education community.

Doug is co-founder and national director of K-12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) and is considered an expert on education technology and cybersecurity.

K12 SIX is a national non-profit that facilitates the sharing of cybersecurity resources and information relevant to K-12 organizations. This blog has frequently cited the publicly available research on the K12 SIX website, such as the K-12 Cyber Incident Map and the annual cybersecurity reports.  K12 SIX also has an “Essentials Series,” which is a huge resource for schools and more than we can get into here. This series has recently been updated “to align with CISA’s cross-sector performance goals.”

With Doug Levin’s appointment to the advisory committee, CISA Director Jen Easterly continues her push to make cybersecurity a ‘kitchen table’ issue. There are roughly 129,000 K-12 schools in the United States, with different levels of resources, capabilities, and needs. These schools perform a critical role in developing a nation of security-aware individuals, and they need strong voices to advocate for the top-down resources that CISA can provide.  I’m excited to see how Doug’s participation in the advisory committee will influence CISA’s approach to school safety.

Related:

• Leveraging E-Rate funds for cybersecurity
• Update your cybersecurity defense with IIJA funding
• Data breaches get dangerously personal
• Barracuda Solutions for K-12 school districts, colleges, and universities