7 Steps to Take After a School Hacking

Schools are not immune to security threats. In fact, because of limited budgets and light technology resources, schools are perhaps the most vulnerable. It is extremely important to be prepared and have a plan in place if a school hacking were to occur.

In late 2017, the U.S. Department of Education warned the nation via CNN that schools are the target for many hackers. Typically, these hackers are outside sources. But in some cases, students can also hack their way into the school’s system and wreak havoc.

When districts continue to add more and more technology, they become even more susceptible to school hacking. Hackers can crack in through access points, servers, email, and even through VOIP phones.

The best way to prevent school hacking is by arming your school district with the right defense. Right-sized network security and quality firewalls are two critical aspects to your school’s technology infrastructure. With the right infrastructure and a team that monitors your security systems, you lower your risk.

This gives your leadership peace of mind. For more cybersecurity tips, read our blog post: 7 Easy Tips to Battle Cybersecurity in K-12 School Districts.

A company like K12itc has the skill set to prevent school hackings before they happen–or quickly eradicate them. If schools identify the hack, it is usually too late.

What are the immediate action items you should take when you experience school hacking? Take it from the experts at K12itc–here are our best tips for what to do:

1. Notify your response team (CIO, Data Coordinator, IT Manager, Legal Counsel, School Board President, Superintendent, etc.).

The first step in effectively managing a crisis is to take swift and decisive action. The response team should include people from different departments and levels in the organization. This helps create a balanced approach to managing crises.

Here are some essential roles that should be considered for inclusion in the team:

• Chief Information Officer (CIO): Leads the technical response and oversees IT staff.
• Data Coordinator: Manages data security protocols and student information systems.
• IT Manager: Oversees day-to-day IT operations and can identify unusual activity.
• Legal Counsel: Provides guidance on legal obligations and potential liabilities.
• School Board President: Informs the board and ensures transparency.
• Superintendent: The public face of the response, providing updates and communicating with parents.

2. Decide whether or not to involve law enforcement.

It’s not mandatory, but if impacted, you have the option to reach out to privacyTA@ed.gov for help and additional advice on what steps to take next. This will also enable them to monitor the growth of the threat. Please note that higher education institutions must report the incident to the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA).

The decision to involve law enforcement depends on the severity of the breach.

Here are some factors to consider:

• Type of Data Breached: Did the hack expose personally identifiable information (PII) like Social Security numbers or grades?
• Scale of the Attack: Was it a specific attack or a large campaign?
• Evidence Available: Are there clear signs of criminal activity?

Even if you don’t involve law enforcement immediately, consider reporting the incident to the Department of Education’s privacy technical assistance team (privacyTA@ed.gov). This allows them to monitor the situation and identify potential threats to other schools. For higher education institutions, reporting the incident to the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is mandatory.

3. Outline the steps needed to investigate and contain the breach.

Track the affected sensitive data and identify how the leakage occurred as soon as possible. Examples of this are students records and bank account information. Utilize your IT staff or an outsourced technology that specializes in K-12 environments to step in for further expertise.

Time is of the essence. Your IT team, or an external cybersecurity expert with K-12 experience, should immediately begin investigating the breach.

Their goals are:

• Identify the Scope of the Attack: What data was accessed?
• Find the Entry Point: How did the cyber attackers gain access?
• Contain the Threat: Prevent further unauthorized access.

Keeping track of the affected data and knowing the source of the breach will help you understand the problem better. This will also guide your response.

4. Determine what legal requirements affect the response and develop a plan to ensure compliance.

Data breaches can trigger legal obligations depending on your location and the nature of the data exposed. Your legal counsel should check important laws, like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in the US. This will help make sure your response follows all the rules.

5. Determine whether any individual was affected and determine whether notifying them is necessary.

Depending on the type of data compromised, you may need to notify affected individuals legally. Legal counsel can advise on specific notification requirements, potentially involving parents, students, staff, and even external vendors.

6. Have your team implement the actions needed to ensure that there is not a recurrence.

After you have handled the immediate threat, it is important to focus on stopping similar incidents in the future. This proactive approach not only safeguards your organization but also enhances overall resilience.

Here are some key steps to consider:

• Vulnerability Assessment: Identify weaknesses in your current security measures.
• Patching and Updates: Ensure all software and systems have the latest security patches applied.
• Enhanced Security Protocols: Implement stronger passwords, multi-factor authentication, and user access controls.
• Cybersecurity Training: Educate staff and students on cyber hygiene best practices like phishing email awareness.

7. Collect and review response documents and analysis reports.

Throughout the response process, it is essential to precisely document all actions taken.

This documentation has several purposes. It provides a clear record of events. It ensures accountability and helps communication among team members. It also aids in future evaluations and improvements.

The following details outline the key components of this documentation process:

• Communications with law enforcement and legal counsel.
• Technical reports on the breach investigation.
• Records of actions taken to contain the threat.

This documentation will be crucial for future reference, future audits, and potential legal proceedings. Additionally, after the crisis has subsided, conduct a thorough review of the response. This will help identify areas for improvement and strengthen your preparedness for future cyber threats.

To stay prepared, download the Data Breach Response Training Kit. Keep it in your admin office or technology office. Ideally, you would already have this training kit on hand prior to any unfortunate situation.

School hacking is a growing concern that occurs on a daily basis, affecting educational institutions across the globe. K-12 school districts have increasingly become prime targets for cybercriminals, who exploit vulnerabilities in school technology systems to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

This trend is concerning. It puts student and staff data at risk and disrupts the learning environment. This can lead to financial losses and harm the reputation of the schools involved.

Cybersecurity threats come in many forms. These include ransomware attacks, phishing schemes, and data breaches. Each of these can seriously harm schools. Therefore, implementing a robust cybersecurity solution is imperative to safeguard against these threats.

To address these pressing concerns, we invite you to meet Albert, a comprehensive technology solution designed specifically for schools. Albert provides features designed to protect school technology from cyber threats. This keeps sensitive data safe and ensures a smooth learning environment.

With Albert, school districts can enjoy better threat detection, real-time monitoring, and quick incident response. These features work together to make a safer digital environment for everyone.

In a time when cyber threats keep changing, investing in a strong cybersecurity solution like Albert is vital. It helps protect the future of education. Don’t leave your school vulnerable—act today to ensure a secure and conducive learning environment for all.