Cybersecurity

In light of overwhelming interest in the FCC's cybersecurity pilot program for K-12, a nonprofit think tank argues that it's time to either make the program permanent or rewrite E-rate to cover cybersecurity expenses.

Students of a private Catholic university in Houston are temporarily unable to access its website, log-on system, financial aid information and other resources after an intruder hacked into the university's servers.

Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), the FBI will use university-led research and development to address weaknesses in the electric grid, water utilities and other systems and infrastructure.

The local government, which sustained a ransomware attack June 18, is informing people whose information may have been impacted, via a website. A review of the impacted data is continuing.

Evidence uncovered suggests a Russian state-sponsored group was behind a yearslong breach of U.S. court records and the theft of sealed documents. The attackers exploited stolen user credentials and a cyber vulnerability.

An Iowa college's $29 million renovation project added educational spaces for e-sports, cybersecurity, mechatronics and other programs to its career and technical education center.

Noting demand for the field and nearby technology and defense companies, university officials said the new program this fall will make cybersecurity careers more attainable to dual-enrolled and junior college students.

The state Department of Information Technology’s new 86-page road map details how officials intend to transform service delivery, boost security and modernize infrastructure. IT literacy will be key.

United Independent School District is aligning school leaders with law enforcement, community groups and local nonprofits to teach students and parents about topics like cyber bullying and responsible screen time.

CISA put out a warning about the ransomware variant "Interlock" days before it attacked St. Paul, Minn. City leaders explained how they interacted with the criminals, sparking the decision not to pay.

Martha Wewer, the state’s new chief privacy officer, and Jennifer Fix, its new deputy CISO, bring more than 30 years of combined experience to their new roles. They will work closely with state CISO Bernice Russell-Bond.

A data breach in June potentially affected nearly 870,000 students, applicants and employees. Someone claiming to be the hacker told Bloomberg News their goal was to expose race-based admissions practices.

As the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act nears expiration, experts warn K-12 schools could face heightened cyber risks without it, while the House and Senate weigh approaches to renewing the law.

The state’s Department of Labor and Industry is funding a new 14-week paid apprenticeship program in six Pennsylvania local governments, in an effort to address the workforce demand for cybersecurity analysts.

Officials have paid no ransom, instead shuttering their network to isolate the attack detected July 25. The city has been working with the FBI and Minnesota National Guard to secure systems and find the attack’s source.

State Attorney General Kwame Raoul encourages families to be vigilant about fake test-prep and financial-aid offers, fraudulent websites, deceptive payment schemes and other scams when shopping for school supplies online.

The FBI’s Internet Criminal Complaint Center has issued a warning about a group called The Com or The Community, which is made up primarily of members between the ages of 11 and 25.

I spoke at the Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what I learned and a few takeaways to share.