Given the unprecedented rise of ransomware attacks against K-12 education over the past year, K12 SIX is pleased to announce its membership in the Ransomware Task Force, launched by organizations including McAfee, Microsoft, the Cyber Threat Alliance and the Global Cyber Alliance. Together the coalition will provide recommendations for public and private action, to reduce the threat posed by the increasing sophistication and severity of ransomware attacks.
“The education sector has unfortunately seen the impact of ransomware attacks significantly escalate during the pandemic,” said Doug Levin, national director of K12 SIX. “School districts have had to greatly expand their digital footprint to enable remote learning, stretching IT teams to the limit. Threat actors have recognized the security challenges facing school districts and have reacted accordingly.”
Chaired by John Davis of Palo Alto Networks, Megan Stifel of Global Cyber Alliance, and Michael Phillips of Resilience, with Executive Director Philip Reiner of Institute for Security and Technology, the newly formed task force will “synthesize best practices across sectors, identify solutions in all steps of the ransomware kill chain, identify gaps in solution application, and engage stakeholders across industries to coalesce a diverse set of ideas and solutions.”
“The K12 SIX mission is to share threat information and best practices among school districts and private school organizations for the prevention and mitigation of cyber attacks,” added Mark Orsi, president of K12 SIX and its parent company, Global Resilience Federation. “Joining the Ransomware Task Force, especially given ransomware’s outsized impact on the K-12 education sector, will help us raise awareness and address the growing cybersecurity risks to schools, staff, and students.”
