In observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) is pleased to publicly release the 2023 – 2024 school year updates to its Essential Cybersecurity Protections series. Developed by K-12 IT practitioners, for K-12 IT practitioners—and aligned to cybersecurity risk management best practices—the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections series establishes baseline cybersecurity standards for U.S. school districts and provides guidance and tools to support their implementation.

In collaboration with the K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX), SETDA recently announced the release of a cybersecurity resource focused on small, rural, and under-resourced districts: “Small Districts, Big Hurdles: Cybersecurity Support for Small, Rural, and Under-resourced Districts.” The publication offers details on how state agencies and other support organizations are empowering their smallest districts to secure their data and networks.

K12 SIX is pleased to announce the opening of the 2024 National K-12 Cybersecurity Leadership Conference call for speakers. Specifically, we are seeking proposals for individual and panel presentations (45 minute sessions), as well as hands-on workshops (from 90-105 minutes in length) that speak directly to the needs and experiences of practicing K-12 leaders and practitioners. The call for speakers will remain open through October 31, 2023.

On the heels of last week’s K-12 cybersecurity event at the White House, K12 SIX partnered with AASA, the School Superintendents Association, on a cyber fact sheet compiling the array of new K-12-specific cybersecurity announcements and resources. Linked resources come from the U.S. Department of Education, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and various private sources.

The K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX), the nation’s K-12 education information sharing and analysis center, applauds the availability of new education-focused federal and private sector cybersecurity resources being made available for the start of the new school year.