Sinclair Community College and D2L, a learning technology company, launched the course.
D2L has long worked with Sinclair, the college said in a press release, and Sinclair is the subject matter expert.
The course was created after a White House Cybersecurity Summit for K-12 schools in August, which Sinclair and D2L attended, and goes over threats to K-12 schools. It is self-paced, but expected to be completed in one or two hours.
Sinclair College has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and received National Science Foundation grants to support cybersecurity education.
"Our mission is to find the need and endeavor to meet it," said Kyle Jones, information technology chair at Sinclair Community College. "This partnership with D2L allows us to empower our local K-12 administrators with the knowledge and skills they need to protect their students, staff, and data from cyber threats."
Jones noted that schools store a huge amount of personal information on students, staff and families, which cyber criminals want to access.
"A cyber attack could expose Social Security numbers, grades, or medical records," he said. "Cyber attacks can also be expensive for schools, disrupting operations and requiring data recovery efforts. Cybersecurity training can help prevent these attacks, saving the school money, protecting sensitive information, and minimizing downtime."
The course is meant to help schools stay ahead of these threats.
"One of the most important aspects of addressing cybersecurity issues is a willingness to learn, and I believe today's free cybersecurity course can play a part in helping us all stay agile in the face of evolving threats," said Stephen Laster, president of D2L.
©2024 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
