State Invests in K-12 Schools’ Cybersecurity

The Dual Language Immersion Pilot Program is in its second year.

The Indiana Department of Education has announced a new initiative to provide cybersecurity for K-12 schools in the state. The Indiana Office of Technology and the Indiana Information Sharing and Analysis Center are teaming up for the initiative.

The state plans to provide a cybersecurity training and awareness platform for K-12 school personnel, funding for schools interested in offering a high school cybersecurity course, the creation of a Cybersecurity Task Force, and matching grants of up to $25,000 for schools to improve their e-security stance. 

"Cybersecurity continues to be a key area of concern for organizations, as well as a growing field for technology professionals," said Dewand Neely, chief technology officer for the Indiana Office of Technology. "The programs and resources dedicated by the Indiana Department of Education show both an investment in the State’s youth and the ability to generate a new pipeline of talent for a growing job sector. Further, this effort demonstrates the commitment to enhancing cybersecurity efforts within our State and improving the capabilities to respond quickly to events. This is a great opportunity for our schools to take preventive measures and reduce cyber risk."

The initiative also calls for six districts to pilot a service that provides a phishing platform and an educational portal, which will be more available for the 2018-19 school year. The General Assembly set aside funding in 2017 specifically for e-security issues.

More information on the entire initiative can be found here.