K12 SIX Releases Essential Cyber Incident Response Runbook

Second Product Released in Series of Practical Cybersecurity Guides for Schools 

Herndon, VA USA – July 13, 2022- The K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) is pleased to release the second product in its series of free cybersecurity aids for U.S. school districts, charter schools, and private school institutions: an incident response template and runbook to assist in preparation for a cyber-attack.  

Aligned to the NIST Incident Response Lifecycle—and developed with the input of K-12 IT practitioners—the K12 SIX Essential Cyber Incident Response Runbook is tailored specifically to the needs and context of K-12 organizations, offering guidance for coordination with internal and external partners, stakeholder communications, and managing student-initiated incidents. 

“Trends point to a growing cybersecurity crisis facing the U.S. K-12 sector. Schools of all types and sizes, from coast to coast, have experienced significant cyber incidents,” said K12 SIX National Director Doug Levin. “Too many K-12 organizations have not adequately prepared for cyber incidents. The K12 SIX Essential Cyber Incident Response Runbook serves as a high-level checklist for school staff to organize their actions in the event of a cyber-attack; it is a complement to other K12 SIX guidance and resources designed to help schools defend against attacks.” 

While school districts that leverage the K12 SIX guidance in its Essentials series are less likely to experience significant cyber incidents—involving the breach of student data, interruptions in teaching and learning, and the theft of funds—too often threat actors retain the upper hand. In case of an attack, the new K12 SIX resource is designed to guide K-12 IT staff and leadership through the critical hours and days following a cyber-attack. 

The development of the K12 SIX Essential Cyber Incident Response Runbook was supported by Microsoft.

“Microsoft is committed to improving K-12 cybersecurity readiness globally. We are pleased to work with K12 SIX to provide resources and hands-on skilling opportunities that empower schools across the country to improve their cybersecurity incident preparedness, resilience, and perseverance,” said Rick Herrmann, Vice President Worldwide Public Sector Education at Microsoft. 

Learn more and download the new cyber incident response runbook at https://www.k12six.org/essentials-series-resources.  

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About K12 SIX
The K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) is a cyber threat information sharing community dedicated solely to the needs of U.S. primary and secondary education organizations. This non-profit member community is a cost-effective forum for crowdsourcing security information among a vetted, trusted group of professionals with a common interest, using common technology and with supporting, independent analysis from the K12 SIX security staff. K12 SIX is a member of the Global Resilience Federation multi-sector network of information sharing communities. Visit www.k12six.org to learn more.

Contact info@k12six.org for membership information. Media inquiries may be directed to Patrick McGlone, pmcglone@grf.org.

The K12 SIX secure collaboration platform was co-built with Cyware Labs, which has committed significant resources to support the community.