| | April - May, 20188IN MY OPINIONProtecting personal data is a way of life for most organizations and individuals today. Threats are on the rise and are growing in sophistication. At the same time, more and more data is shared online and over cloud services.But for K-12 schools, the threat is more extreme. The public sector is behind the curve when it comes to protecting data. In addition, schools don't often have the budgets or expertise to develop enterprise-level data security programs. Finally, the bad actors, working to threaten data security and steal identities and private information, have caught on to this and the number and severity of threats in the education space are growing.1:1 computing exacerbates these issues. Schools are purchasing more devices, handing them out to students, and replacing pen and paper lessons with online work. Textbooks didn't come with data security threats; online lessons do. Additionally, the devices are often leaving the school network and the security protections that come with it. This facilitates 24/7 learning opportunities, but increases risk. Students are connecting with different Wi-Fi networks, sharing on social media, and using a variety of online apps and services. For many families, the school-provided mobile device is the first computer in the home.The capabilities and resources of IT and technology teams in schools across the U.S. are also varied. Small schools may have very limited staff, or may rely on outside service providers. Technology teams are frequently made up of individuals with more background in education than technology and data security. As it has in the enterprise space, the skill set for CIOs in schools and the public sector is changing; computer security ­ the ability to craft and execute a comprehensive policy to organize teams and processes and to respond to threats ­ is a required skill in today's schools.What's a school to do? Fittingly, since we're talking about schools, it begins with education. By Jim Pulliam, CIO, Orange County Public SchoolsStudent Data Security: A Call to Arms for K-12Jim Pulliam
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