The Federal Communications Commission’s new Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program will use universal service funds to provide cybersecurity help to K-12 districts while collecting data on what they need.
In a presentation Monday at the National School Boards Association conference in New Orleans, Lawrence Public Schools officials explained how building a private fiber network improved digital equity and saved money.
Money for the Emergency Connectivity Fund is expected to run out June 30. The Federal Communications Commission will continue reviewing public input on the proposal until a determination is made.
A bill moving through Congress proposes that districts receiving funds through the E-Rate program should not allow social media access, but it may be more practical for districts to address the problem individually.
SETDA, CoSN and 10 other nonprofits or professional associations applaud the Federal Communications Commission’s initiative but ask the federal agency to protect sensitive data during the pilot.
The Federal Communications Commission recently extended E-Rate funding to cover WiFi on school buses, but some Republicans say this will raise fees on telecommunications providers and not improve learning outcomes.
The federal E-rate program has the potential to be a well of funding for cybersecurity that K-12 schools and libraries are eager to tap to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals.
Plus, the Biden administration works to make it easier for people with disabilities to access public services online; the FCC rolls out more Emergency Connectivity funding for schools; and more.
The proposal would create a new pilot program, allotting up to $200 million over three years, for schools and libraries to assess effective cybersecurity methods and implement advanced firewalls, among other needs.
A coalition of education advocacy groups have asked the FCC to allow schools to use federal E-rate funding to strengthen their IT security infrastructure amid an onslaught of cyber attacks targeting the education sector.
