K-12 Cybersecurity Insider | 9/29/2025 edition
A biweekly newsletter providing curated cybersecurity news to the K-12 community, as a public service of K12 SIX. Sign up for the K12 SIX mailing list to have future editions delivered to your inbox.
Mark Your Calendar
10/9 - Monthly Cross-Sector Threat Briefing (member-only)
10/14 - Cybersecurity Education for K-12: Putting CISA’s Guidance into Action (sponsored by Fortinet)
10/21 - Pressure Building: Why All Districts Need a Solid Foundational Cybersecurity Program (sponsored by Identity Automation, a Jamf company)
10/28 - Passwords Must Go: The Future of Authentication in K-12 (sponsored by Clever)
10/31 - Deadline for submission of speaking proposals for the 2026 National K-12 Cybersecurity Leadership Conference
In the News
Insult to Injury: Cyberattack prompts closure of Uvalde (TX) schools
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District - yes, that Uvalde - had to close their school system for a week while responding to a significant ransomware incident experienced on September 13. District officials notified teachers and students that due to the attack, essential systems will be unavailable, including phones, thermostats, camera monitoring and other systems deemed necessary. The attack also took out the district’s payroll system, affecting bus drivers, maintenance staff and custodians. Officials said paychecks could possibly be delayed. District officials claim to have found no evidence of unauthorized access to sensitive data, but time will tell.
“An Absolute New Low” - Extorting Nursery School Parents in the UK
Hackers say they have stolen the pictures, names and addresses of around 8,000 children from the Kido nursery chain. The gang of cyber criminals is using the highly sensitive information to demand a ransom from the company, which has 18 sites in and around London, with more in the US and India. The criminals also claim to have contacted some parents by phone as part of their extortion tactics.
Audit: Utah's K-12 systems could improve cybersecurity practices
Utah’s local education agencies (LEAs) are not fully implementing baseline cybersecurity practices, leaving school systems vulnerable. Recent attacks in Utah exposed data from hundreds of thousands of students and employees and cost districts over $150,000. Testing and statewide surveys found significant gaps in incident response planning, training, and patch management, with smaller districts lagging furthest behind. Barriers such as insufficient staffing, limited resources, and lack of prioritization continue to hinder progress. Among the recommendations to the Utah legislature: minimum cybersecurity standards for local education agencies. Direct link to the audit report here.
K12 SIX Announces Expert-Led Webinar Series for 2025 Cybersecurity Awareness Month
This October, in recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, K12 SIX presents a series of weekly webinars designed to help schools strengthen their defenses against modern cyber threats. This series features the voices of industry experts and K-12 practitioners, collaborating to offer school technology leaders and administrators actionable strategies and essential guidance. Our goal is to empower school communities with the knowledge and tools needed to build a resilient and secure digital environment.
The National K-12 Cybersecurity Leadership Conference is a unique event designed to identify and share solutions and best practices to better defend the K-12 education sector from emerging cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware and data breaches. Participants from past conferences report overwhelmingly positive feedback about the conference: “I just wanted to reach out to say thank you again for an amazing conference. My team and I all agreed that was by far one of our best conferences any of us have ever attended.” The 4th Annual conference will be held February 24-26, 2026 in Albuquerque, NM.
Fast Facts
52: U.S. K-12 ransomware victims claimed by threat actors (2025 to date) (source)
72: Severe information technology vulnerabilities (CVSS Base Score 7.0+) disclosed in past week (source)
Members Get More
The K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) operates as the independent, non-profit information sharing and analysis center (ISAC) exclusively for the K-12 education sector. Founded in 2020, organizations eligible for membership include school districts, charter schools and charter management organizations, private/independent schools, regional education agencies, and state education agencies. K12 SIX members get more.