Cybersecurity for K-12 Education

There is nothing more important than ensuring the safety and security of our schools from physical and cybersecurity threats alike. Unfortunately, adversaries have targeted our Kindergarten to Twelfth (K-12) education system due to the extensive amounts of personal and financial data they maintain about our kids, teachers, school staff and records on the schools themselves. Yet, most educational districts lack the resources to put in place a comprehensive cybersecurity program. So many of our schools across the nation are, what we call, “target rich, cyber poor” in that they are often a frequent target for ransomware and other cyberattacks due to the extensive data kept on school networks, often without the proper protection.

For K-12 schools, cyber incidents are so prevalent that, on average, there is more than one incident per school day.   

CISA is placing a focus on working with the K-12 education sector to help raise awareness and understanding of the risks as well as to change behaviors that put us at risk of phishing and other online attacks. We provide tools, information, and resources to help this vitally important component of the nation’s critical infrastructure to protect themselves against attacks by malicious actors to reduce the likelihood of successful cyber incursions. 

Whether you are a school administrator, teacher, parent, or part of the education community, take a moment to scroll through the content on this page to learn more about how K-12 can be more cyber secure and resilient.

K-12 Cybersecurity Report and Toolkit