How to Safeguard K-12 Schools in the Age of AI

Educational institutions across the United States face an unprecedented cybersecurity crisis. As K-12 schools increasingly adopt new education technology (EdTech) innovations into the classroom and explore artificial intelligence (AI) to automate and enhance administrative functions, they have become prime targets for cybercriminals.

We will explore the unique cybersecurity challenges facing K-12 schools, analyze common vulnerabilities in their IT systems, and provide actionable recommendations tailored to schools of different sizes and resource capabilities. From ransomware attacks paralyzing district operations to data breaches exposing sensitive student information, the threats are real and growing. By understanding these risks and implementing appropriate security measures, school administrators and IT staff can better protect their digital assets, maintain operational continuity, and safeguard their communities against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Compounding these risks is the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by both cybercriminals and defenders. Bad actors are leveraging AI to automate attacks, craft convincing social engineering attacks, including phishing emails and vishing attacks, and identify system vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed and precision. At the same time, educational institutions are integrating AI-driven tools into the classroom through adaptive learning tools and administrative processes, such as automated attendance applications and student performance monitoring, further expanding their digital attack surfaces. This technological arms race means that schools must now contend with more sophisticated and scalable threats, as well as the challenge of protecting increasingly complex systems powered by emerging AI technologies.

K-12 schools have become increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals, with attacks against educational institutions rising dramatically in recent years. According to the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, there have been over 1,300 publicly disclosed school incidents since 2016, with the trend accelerating during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote learning expanded schools' digital footprints.

Several factors make schools particularly vulnerable targets. Unlike many corporations with substantial cybersecurity budgets, schools often operate with limited resources and technical expertise. School districts are responsible for managing extensive databases containing valuable personally identifiable information (PII) on students and staff, including Social Security numbers, health records, financial information, and academic data. In most cases, schools rely heavily on third-party service providers to protect these datasets. Managing relationships with third-party vendors to ensure that the sensitive data being processed, managed, and stored is adequately protected is a key component in mitigating these threats.

The impact of cybersecurity incidents on schools extends far beyond financial losses. When attacks occur, they can disrupt educational continuity, compromise sensitive information, damage institutional reputation, and potentially expose schools to legal liability. Baltimore County Public Schools, for example, were forced to cancel classes for several days following a 2020 ransomware attack that crippled their network, affecting more than 115,000 students.

The threat actors targeting schools range from opportunistic criminals seeking quick financial gain to sophisticated groups that focus specifically on educational institutions. Some attacks even originate from students themselves, who may exploit system vulnerabilities for pranks, to change grades, or to demonstrate their technical abilities. Finally, there is the risk that arises with the unintentional insider threats. Consider a secretary who emails a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in plain text through email to a guidance counselor. This secretary has inadvertently exposed the student’s sensitive information and could cause serious harm to the student if that information were to be made public. This sensitive data should be encrypted and shared safely.

School districts face numerous technical and operational vulnerabilities that cybercriminals routinely exploit. Understanding these weak points is the first step toward implementing effective security measures.

Technical Infrastructure Weakness

Most schools comprise complex systems that are a combination of premises and cloud-based tools. Despite receiving support from the federal government in 2020 through the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER) (part of the CARES Act) to upgrade technology for remote learning, improve cybersecurity measures, and enhance IT infrastructure, many schools operate with legacy systems that have reached or exceeded their intended lifespan.

Budget constraints often force districts to delay hardware and software upgrades, resulting in a patchwork of technologies that may not work seamlessly together and may contain known security flaws. Furthermore, the rapid adoption of educational technology tools, particularly during the pandemic, has expanded the attack surface without corresponding security oversight.

Primary Threats Facing K-12 Schools

Ransomware:

Ransomware has become the most disruptive threat to school operations. These attacks encrypt critical systems and data, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. The 2021 attack on Buffalo Public Schools forced the cancellation of remote classes for over 34,000 students. Recovery costs often far exceed the ransom demands, with some districts spending millions to rebuild their systems.

Phishing Campaigns:

Social engineering attacks targeting staff and administrators remain highly effective. Sophisticated phishing emails often impersonate district leadership, vendors, or government agencies to trick recipients into revealing credentials or installing malware. School employees frequently lack security awareness training to identify these increasingly convincing schemes.

Data Breaches:

Unauthorized access to student information systems can expose personally identifiable information. With the adoption of cloud-based student information systems, proper administration of account access is imperative to ensuring that unauthorized individuals cannot access sensitive information. The 2020 breach at Toledo Public Schools compromised data for over 9,000 students, including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. Such incidents can lead to identity theft and have long-lasting impacts on affected individuals.

Beyond these primary threats, schools also face distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that can disable online resources, insider threats from disgruntled employees or students, and compromises of third-party vendors with access to school systems. The education sector's increased reliance on cloud services and remote learning platforms has further expanded the potential attack surface.

With limited budgets and technical resources, schools must prioritize their cybersecurity efforts to address the most likely and impactful threats first. This requires a strategic approach that balances protection with the practical realities of educational environments. Sufficient financial and training resources must be allocated to attract and maintain the right talent to support the district's cybersecurity strategy.

Unique Challenges Facing K-12 Schools

Balancing Security with Education Access

Unlike corporate environments where security can often take precedence, schools must maintain an open, collaborative atmosphere that supports learning while still protecting sensitive data. Overly restrictive security measures can hinder educational activities and create frustration among teachers and students.

Educational technology adoption has accelerated dramatically, with schools implementing numerous apps and platforms to enhance learning. Each new tool potentially introduces security gaps if not properly vetted and integrated. IT departments often learn about new applications only after teachers have already begun using them with students. Building a strong vendor management program that includes the process of requesting new technology acquisitions, vetting vendors, and annually reviewing the security posture of vendors is a critical component of a mature cybersecurity program.

Resources and Expertise

Most K-12 schools operate with constrained IT budgets and limited technical staff. Many districts lack dedicated cybersecurity personnel, instead relying on generalist IT staff who must balance security with numerous other responsibilities. Professional development opportunities in cybersecurity are often limited for school IT staff.

The education sector faces an especially challenging cybersecurity talent gap, as schools often struggle to match the salaries offered by private sector employers. This makes recruiting and retaining qualified security professionals particularly difficult.

Recommendations

Because most K-12 schools often operate with minimal IT staff and limited budgets, a focused approach to cybersecurity is needed that maximizes security impact with minimal resources.

1)  Cybersecurity Assessment: Conduct and annual cybersecurity assessment to understand the district’s baseline cybersecurity controls and where the gaps may be. This assessment would be the basis for prioritizing improvements and additional security controls

2)  Essential Security Controls: Implement basic technology protections, including antivirus software, firewalls, and automated system updates. Use cloud-based security services that require minimal on-site management. Enable MFA for all administrative accounts and sensitive systems and implement the practice of least privilege when creating user groups and accounts.

3)  Governance Team: Formulated a Governance Team within the district that is comprised of representatives from each department in the district. This group is responsible for overseeing the district's overall mission. Based on the district's risk appetite, they would establish district-wide cybersecurity and data privacy priorities, as well as approve all relevant policies and procedures.

4)  Managed Services: Consider outsourcing security operations to Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) who specialize in education. Leverage regional educational service centers that may offer shared security services across multiple small districts.

5)  Policy Development: Create simple but comprehensive policies covering access control, acceptable use, data handling, incident response, and disaster recovery. Document procedures for securing student data and responding to potential breaches.

6)  Staff Training: Conduct regular basic security awareness training for all staff members. Focus on recognizing phishing attempts, proper password management, and safe browsing habits. Utilize free resources from organizations like MS-ISAC and CISA.

Fit the Solution to the Environment

Small schools

Focus on building security resilience by ensuring they can recover quickly from incidents rather than trying to prevent every possible attack. Implementing reliable, isolated backups is especially critical, as this provides a cost-effective safety net against ransomware attacks. Schools should regularly test these backups to verify that they can restore operations if needed. 

Despite limited resources, small schools can achieve significant security improvements by applying the concept of "security fundamentals first." By addressing the most common attack vectors through basic controls and staff awareness, schools can substantially reduce their risk profile without requiring enterprise-grade security budgets. Since people are often the weakest link, investing in role-based training and security awareness training will help foster a culture of security awareness, making each individual an additional resource in mitigating cyber threats.

Medium and Large Schools

Medium and large districts should develop a comprehensive security program that addresses governance, technical controls, and human factors. Investments in automation tools will reduce the workload on system administrators. For example, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions will significantly enhance the district’s cybersecurity posture by analyzing system logs in real-time for anomalies and suspicious activities. This will reduce the need for specialized system administrators to manually review and analyze log files. 

Data classification frameworks become increasingly crucial as district size expands. By categorizing data based on sensitivity, schools can apply appropriate controls to different types of information, focusing resources on protecting the most critical assets. This approach enables more nuanced security decisions rather than using the same controls universally.

Larger districts should also develop relationships with law enforcement, including FBI cyber divisions and the MS-ISAC, before incidents occur. These partnerships provide valuable intelligence about emerging threats and can significantly enhance response capabilities during actual incidents. Participation in information-sharing groups specific to education can also provide early warnings about attacks targeting similar institutions.

As threats evolve, K-12 schools require flexible security strategies that address emerging risks and support educational objectives. This involves committed leadership, sufficient resources, and cross-departmental collaboration. Effective cybersecurity policies and a strong security culture enable schools to mitigate risk and build resilience against cyberattacks while achieving their educational objectives.

Effective K-12 cybersecurity isn't about perfect protection, but about establishing practical safeguards, detection, and response strategies that enable schools to handle incidents with minimal disruption.