WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Ahead of the new school year, the Biden administration announced new resources to help schools combat a wave of cyberthreats.
The White House wants schools to add an extra line of defense in the classroom.
“Families should know their data is safe,” first lady Jill Biden said.
On Tuesday, alongside the secretaries of education and homeland security, the first lady announced millions in new resources to help K-12 schools combat the increasing threat of cyberattacks.
“In districts around the country, cyberattacks have brought those systems to a halt,” Biden said.
The White House said last year alone, there were eight significant cyberattacks at schools, forcing four of them to temporarily shut down.
“We were cyberattacked,” Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, said.
Carvalho said luckily, the breach at his district only resulted in minor data theft.
“We navigated that experience better than most would, with extreme collaboration,” he said. “Eleven FBI agents living in Los Angeles with us.”
The Biden administration’s new guidance includes best practices from the FBI and the nation’s leading cybersecurity experts.
“The goal for today was to catalyze action,” Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, said.
Neuberger is encouraging school districts nationwide to take advantage of new tools as soon as possible.
“We have to ensure every child is protected,” she said.
