In a post in the Federal Register, the FCC announced that it will seek comments for a proposed three-year Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program to determine schools and libraries that should be considered eligible and how it can measure the program’s effectiveness.
The program would provide up to $200 million for K-12 schools and libraries in rural and low-income communities and would gather information on “cybersecurity and advanced firewall services” to protect schools and libraries against cyberattacks.
The agency said that participants would need to use free or low-cost cybersecurity resources, such as those provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s, CISA and the Department of Education, to “make the most effective use of pilot program funding.”
The FCC also noted that it will also continue to promote its E-Rate program, which provides schools and libraries discounts on internet service.
Mike Barker, CCO, HYAS Infosec:
“Kudos to the FCC for taking this crucial step in securing our schools and investing in the future. By emphasizing the use of free or low-cost resources coupled with continued support for the E-Rate program, this program aims to maximize impact and signals a holistic strategy to safeguard educational entities against cyber threats.”
This is a good move by the FCC. As we’ve seen, schools are often the prime target for cyberattacks. And the Toronto Public Library system is still crippled because of one. Anything that can be done to should be done because as it stands at present, both libraries and schools are low hanging fruit for threat actors.
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This entry was posted on January 2, 2024 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags FCC, Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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FCC Proposes $200M Cyber Pilot-Program For K-12 And Libraries
In a post in the Federal Register, the FCC announced that it will seek comments for a proposed three-year Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program to determine schools and libraries that should be considered eligible and how it can measure the program’s effectiveness.
The program would provide up to $200 million for K-12 schools and libraries in rural and low-income communities and would gather information on “cybersecurity and advanced firewall services” to protect schools and libraries against cyberattacks.
The agency said that participants would need to use free or low-cost cybersecurity resources, such as those provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s, CISA and the Department of Education, to “make the most effective use of pilot program funding.”
The FCC also noted that it will also continue to promote its E-Rate program, which provides schools and libraries discounts on internet service.
Mike Barker, CCO, HYAS Infosec:
“Kudos to the FCC for taking this crucial step in securing our schools and investing in the future. By emphasizing the use of free or low-cost resources coupled with continued support for the E-Rate program, this program aims to maximize impact and signals a holistic strategy to safeguard educational entities against cyber threats.”
This is a good move by the FCC. As we’ve seen, schools are often the prime target for cyberattacks. And the Toronto Public Library system is still crippled because of one. Anything that can be done to should be done because as it stands at present, both libraries and schools are low hanging fruit for threat actors.
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This entry was posted on January 2, 2024 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags FCC, Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.