SAFEGUARDING SCHOOLS

GUEST BIO

Dr. Arun Vishwanath is an alumnus of the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University who was a tenured associate professor at the University at Buffalo and faculty at Indiana University, Bloomington; he now serves as the CTO of Avant Research Group, a cyber security firm where he consults for major corporations and government agencies, and is a distinguished expert for the NSA’s Science of Security & Privacy directorate.

Website: https://www.arunvishwanath.us/

SESSION SYNOPSIS

Frequent cyberattacks putting students’ sensitive information at risk demonstrate the urgent need to increase security efforts within the education sector. Join cybersecurity expert Dr. Arun Vishwanath, CTO of Avant Research Group, to discuss key actions schools must take to safeguard our children’s digital future. Gain insight into the evolving threats facing students, the reforms needed to enhance data protections, and how to equip youth with cyber-hygiene training to mitigate risks.

KEY POINTS

  • The rising frequency and impact of attacks against schools, exposing over 1 million students’ data in 2022.
  • Factors causing the education sector’s vulnerability: aging IT systems, staff expertise gaps, opaque breach notifications, advancing hacker tactics.
  • Necessary responses – boosting teacher salaries and training, reforming credit monitoring protocols, mandating comprehensive cyber-hygiene education.
  • Tangible best practices educational institutions can implement: Technology upgrades, policy changes, curriculum additions, and community engagement.
  • An urgent call to action to prioritize students’ privacy and make cybersecurity an imperative, not an afterthought. Our inaction sells children’s futures short.
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