The K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections: Cyber Defense for Every K-12 Organization

Written By Nicolas Long

April 16, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET

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Those who offer cybersecurity advice to school organizations often make spurious assumptions about the threats schools face, their IT/OT infrastructure, and the unique context in which they operate. To address this guidance gap, members of the K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) have been collaborating since 2021 to develop and iterate on a freely available framework and set of tools to help school systems and other K-12 organizations to identify the next steps in their cybersecurity programs. The K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections are a series of interrelated products - designed by members of the K-12 community, for members of the K-12 community - to make continuous improvement in defending their school communities from ever-evolving cyber threats.

Join April Mardock, CISO, Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC) and Chair, K12 SIX Technical Working Group and Doug Levin, Director of K12 SIX, for a special webinar on the latest iteration of the Essential Cybersecurity Protections for Schools. You’ll come away with:

  • An understanding of the purpose of the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections: what it is, what it is not, and how to use it

  • Advice on the most meaningful and pragmatic K-12 specific cybersecurity protections your school system should consider implementing next

  • How to provide input on future iterations of the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections

Featured Speakers:

  • April Mardock, CISO, Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC) and Chair, K12 SIX Technical Working Group

  • Doug Levin, Director, K12 SIX

Nicolas Long
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