K-12 Cybersecurity – Join the MS-ISAC
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to virtual learning, the cybersecurity risk to schools has only increased. School districts now rely more heavily on remote access technology and cloud services, which open up new avenues of cyber-attack. Additionally, there are now many more external devices accessing school and district networks, which further increases the cybersecurity risk to K-12 school districts and everyone that relies on those networks.
Cyber Defense Support for Public K-12 Schools
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®) is the focal point for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for the nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal (SLTT) governments. Membership is open to all K-12 public schools in the U.S.
A division of the Center for Internet Security® (CIS®), the MS-ISAC collaborates and shares cybersecurity information among its 10,000 members, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and private sector partners.
This network is an extremely beneficial resource to keep educational institutions informed of the latest cyber threats. By joining the MS-ISAC, K-12s join more than 2,000 public schools and districts who share cybersecurity information to improve their readiness against common threats at no cost.
More Resources Available for K-12 Schools
- The State of Cybersecurity for K-12 School Districts: Using the MS-ISAC K-12 Report, K-12 cybersecurity pros and leaders can better understand and address the cyber risks facing them.
- 2022 Kids Safe Online Activity Book: This activity book’s artwork was developed by grade K-12 students who participated in the 2021/2022 MS-ISAC National Cybersecurity Awareness Poster Contest.
- 2021 Kids Safe Online Activity Book: The 2021 Kids Safe Online Activity Book showcases the winning artwork of students from around the country and offers educational games and resources.
- MS-ISAC Cybersecurity Awareness Month Poster Contest: Every October during Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM), the MS-ISAC conducts a national K-12 “Kids Safe Online” poster contest to encourage young people to use the Internet safely and securely and to craft messages and images that will best resonate with their peers across the country. Download an entry form
Four Major Benefits of Joining the MS-ISAC for K-12s
1. It is free to join and members get 24x7x365 support
All public K-12 schools are eligible to take advantage of member services, including the 24x7x365 Security Operations Center (SOC) at no cost. Learn more
2. Malicious Domain Blocking and Reporting (MDBR)
An easy way to reduce vulnerability and strengthen defenses, MDBR technology blocks your students and staff from accessing known bad websites. This is especially effective at blocking ransomware links in phishing e-mails. Learn more
3. Regular Advisories from the SOC
The MS-ISAC SOC analyzes cyber threat information from a variety of sources and shares this information with MS-ISAC members when necessary. Advisories can include important information about threats, vulnerabilities, attacks, and compromises.
4. CIS SecureSuite® Membership
No-cost access to integrated cybersecurity resources for implementing and assessing CIS Benchmarks™ and CIS Controls® cybersecurity best practices. The tools included in Membership help users evaluate and apply secure configuration settings to laptops, servers, network devices, and more. Enroll in CIS SecureSuite Membership
Join the MS-ISAC Today at No Cost
When a cyber incident occurs, K-12 public school districts can devote precious resources to incident response services and other costly remediation efforts, including network upgrades. However, K-12 schools and districts can greatly reduce their risk simply by joining the MS-ISAC at no cost.
