Call for Public Input: Essential Cybersecurity Protections for Schools

The K12 SIX Technical Working Group is pleased to open a call for public input into the fourth annual update and revision to the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series. The goal of the Essential Protections is to communicate the most important defenses that K-12 school systems can implement to dramatically reduce the cybersecurity risks they are facing. Designed to address the most frequently experienced school cyber incidents and taking into consideration advice from other national cybersecurity risk management frameworks, the K12 SIX Essential Protections were built specifically for the K-12 community by practicing K-12 IT practitioners, taking into account the unique context in which the education sector operates. Entering its fourth annual update and revision cycle, it is an opinionated framework, emphasizing accessibility and pragmatism over comprehensiveness.

Key features of the Essential Protections series:

• Communicates plain language descriptions of recommended cybersecurity controls and tips to know whether they have been successfully implemented

• Offers detailed guidance on implementation expectations, with detailed rubrics to assist with continuous improvement

• Provides insights into both the implementation costs (money and time) and impact on end users of recommendations

• Includes a free, private self-assessment that generates customized advice to prioritize cybersecurity control implementation

• Aligned to national cybersecurity frameworks, such as those published by the Center for Internet Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

• Updated annually for the new school year.

Feedback is being sought through May 31, 2024 for this year and can be provided via this form.

Your input into the next iteration of the Essential Protections is key to ensuring the ongoing relevance and usefulness of the work. Should you have any other questions or input, please direct it to info@k12six.org.