School CIO: Security


Large Florida district automates computer access Florida’s Palm Beach County School District serves over 170,000 students from kindergarten to grade 12, in over 200 schools. For years the district's IT staff had been using manual processes to manage user access to various systems
NY schools save paper, gain secure storage in cyberspace Recognized by The New York Times for its national reputation for excellence, Clarkstown Central School District (CCSD), based in New City, NY, comprises 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools. Its technologically-savvy student base eagerly embraces of the latest software applications and digital tools, such as Web-based "lockers," Google Applications (Apps) for Domains, wikis, blogs, VoiceThread, and more.
Web filter keeps data flowing and kids safe Located in Southern California, Poway Unified School District (USD) serves the educational needs of 33,000 students in grades K-12. In recent years, the district’s curriculum has increasingly included many more on-demand programs and applications which strain network bandwidth - almost to the point of overload.
Texas district locks up student data With more than 66,000 students in 98 campuses, El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) is the seventh largest district in Texas and the 57th largest district in the United States. So it isn't hard to imagine the amount of stored student data the district must protect every minute of every day, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Guide to Emergency Technology For Non-Tech Executives Was your school hit by the recent record-breaking “Snowmageddon” storm? What can you do to prepare for a blizzard – or for any emergency?
Cinncinati schools gain bandwidth, save money with WAN management system At CPS, preserving access to education-related content and applications has always been a priority. But, notes Network Administrator Paul Wright, “Our bandwidth resources were being absorbed by file-sharing requests.”
Communications system keeps Bronx school in business Keeping families informed in an increasingly uncertain world is a top priority for administrators at Alfred E. Smith High School in the Bronx. So when unwanted news about the school's pending closure arrived, parents and community members were quickly informed.
Video camera system provides smart security for NY district Nestled in a valley with rural surroundings, the Onondaga Central School District is located in picturesque upstate New York, just seven miles outside of Syracuse. In light of increasing violence at schools across the country, the school district’s administration wanted to help ensure that students and staff would be safe at all times while on school property.
Rhode Island District saves money, time and space with zero-client software “In K-12, IT staffing can be a huge issue for us because each tech is responsible for supporting around 650 PCs. This isn’t a formula for success,” said Mark Lamson, director of technology for the Westerly Public School District. Electrical distribution and space are also issues, Lamson added.
Filling the Gap in Emergency Response When disasters occur, from tornado warnings to domestic or international terrorism, PDAs, cell phones and email are of little help to those without them or those ignoring them. To protect school campuses and the wider community, wireless PA systems compatible with existing two-way radio systems are filling the emergency response gap at some of the nation's school campuses and municipalities.
Managing Internet traffic in Canadian schools Network security and student safety have emerged as top priorities for education leaders in Canada as educators rely increasingly on the Internet for instruction, educational resources, assessment, data management, and more.
Wolf Creek in Alberta improves network security and integrity To improve network security and integrity for users on its wired and wireless network, Wolf Creek Public Schools in Alberta, Canada selected a combined integrated security solution from InfoExpress and Alcatel Lucent. The new security capabilities will protect the public
Arts School finds safe browsing solution The Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and Education (SBH), like many schools, is struggling to keep up with the times. To prepare students for life after school, the integration of technology is a must. However, relying on technology
Alabama schools overcome data corruption issues Mobile County Public Schools (AL) recently turned to Information Transport Solutions to overcome data corruption issues and update the technology for its K 12 schools. System users were complaining about the slow performance of school based applications, and the IT
Tennessee prep school tightens Internet policy Battle Ground Academy, a K 12 prep school in Franklin, TN, is now in its second year of issuing PCs that have been pre loaded with Microsoft Office and classroom software to its students. At first, students were able to
Dublin City Schools starts employee safety program The Dublin City Schools (DCS) have decided to implement EmployeeSafe Suite from PublicSchoolWORKS (PSW) to help employees complete required safety training during times that were convenient for them, and in a manner that saves the schools time and resources.DCS introduced
Protecting your IT investment Winston Salem Forsyth is the fifth largest school system in North Carolina with about 51,000 combined students in its 40 elementary, 15 middle and 11 high schools. The Computrace® software will be used on over 25,000 computers.The Computrace solutions address
New survey shows school IT breaches increasing CDW G announced the results of the 2009 School Safety Index. Based on a nationwide survey of over 400 K 12 district IT and security directors, the index measures 10 indicators and four contraindicators to set a national benchmark to
11 crisis management tips for administrators CDW G offers the following checklist of topics and questions for non technology executives and administrators to review with their management teams and IT departments to prepare for significant facility shutdowns – regardless of the cause 1. What functions and
N.Y. District Picks DeepNines Plattsburgh (NY) City Schools has chosen the iTrust solution from DeepNines Technologies to control and manage its network traffic, content, and applications. The district was looking for a solution that would provide granular control of the content and applications on
Bulletproof Remote Access Making school or district database and network resources available to IT employees, administrators, and teachers from remote locations can greatly improve productivity, but at what cost? Despite the vast improvements in
Lo Jack Leads to Pilfered Laptop Fort Worth (TX) Independent School District officials say a laptop computer stolen from Polytechnic High School has been recovered through Lo Jack tracking technology. The computer, valued at $1,500, was stolen from a classroom in late October while a teacher
The Dark Side of Tech: How CIOs Tackle Security Breaches by Matt Bolch The proliferation of ed tech is certainly cause for celebration. But that celebration carries a dark side--the potential for fraud and abuse. Tech & Learning asked four technology directors about five security challenges that keep them up at night.
Terror in the Classroom: What Can be Done?, Part 4 by Ryan E. Winter and Dr. Robert J. Leneway What parents and schools can do to combat cyberbullying. Part four of four.
Terror in the Classroom: What Can Be Done?, Part 3 by Ryan E. Winter and Dr. Robert J. Leneway Who is a cyberbully? Part three of four.
Terror in the Classroom: What Can be Done?, Part 2 by Ryan E. Winter and Dr. Robert J. Leneway The effects of cyberbullying. Part two of four.
Terror in the Classroom: What Can be Done?, Part 1 by Ryan E. Winter and Dr. Robert J. Leneway A definition and examples of cyberbullying. Part one of four.
Six Steps to Managing Internet Access by Sheila Riley Jim Culbert, information security analyst for the Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Fla., talks about developing district policies that ensure kids remain safe online.
Ten Tips for Internet Safety by Sheila Riley Protecting students from Internet dangers and distractions while still reaping its benefits is on every district's tech priority list.
Protecting Your Data from the Inside Out by Charles Thompson One K-12 CIO's answer to dealing with internal security threats: extrusion prevention
Microsoft's Most Important Launch Ever by Mary Hayes Weier Can promises of "software and service," increased security, and programmable mini-apps get the company's installed base to upgrade to Windows Vista?
The Truth about User Privileges by Kelly Jackson Higgins Has the time come to set your Windows clients to run without system administrator rights?
The MySpace Effect by Christopher Heun MySpace is public enemy number one in many school districts. But that doesn't mean social networking tools should be banned outright.
10 Most Dangerous Things Users Do Online by The Staff of Dark Reading If your end users knew what damage they could cause when they...well, just send them this article.
Assessing Your Assets by Patricia A. Holub Systems for tracking and managing IT assets can save time and dollars.
How Identity Theft Works by Steve Stasiukonis A security firm tries to penetrate a college network, with alarming results.
Book Excerpt: 1-to-1 Learning by Pamela Livingston Preparing your network for a laptop program requires careful planning. In her new book, Pamela Livingston lays out the issues.
Researchers Challenge Security Data by Tim Wilson Contrary to popular belief, nearly 75 percent of denial-of-service attacks come from a small number of troublemakers.
9 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft by Sheila Riley Keep staff and student data safe and sound.
Data Protection: Who's Got Your Back? by Joseph F. Kovar Three words can sum up the storyline in storage nowadays: protection, protection, and protection.
Standards Issues Open Security Holes by Larry Greenemeier Network-access control technologies are vulnerable to attack, according to a presentation at the Black Hat security conference.
Growing Pains for Managed Services by Lawrence M. Walsh 98 percent of managed services is chaotic, new research reveals.
Crash Course: Wireless Site Surveys by Cornell W. Robinson III Before setting up your wireless LAN, you must map it out.
Protect Your Network From Instant Messaging Risks by Phil Britt One of the computing's greatest hidden dangers is instant messaging. Here's how to make sure you and your network stay safe when using IM.
Security -- Beyond The Firewall by Howard Wen Network administrators need to look at hardware, devices, apps, access rights, and a variety of other factors
Who Goes There? by Matt Villano From eye-scanning to fingerprinting, biometric technology can help districts keep an eye on the comings and goings at their schools.
Spyware and Adware Continue to Plague PCs by Eric Chabrow More businesses deploy anti-spyware apps, while efforts to control the parasitic code are widening as watchdog groups employ new tactics and law enforcement cracks down on suspects.
IE Changes Due: What You Can Expect by Gregg Keizer Microsoft Corp. will release Tuesday a security update for Internet Explorer that will also change how users interact with Web sites.
Best Practices: Wireless Security by Matt Villano Network manager Scott Friberg talks about how he's securing his district's new wireless network.
The 10 Biggest Network Security Myths by Joanne VanAuken If you buy into all these commonly held beliefs, you better believe your data is at risk. We separate the fact from fiction.
The Case for Outsourced Security by Matt Villano A popular approach to managing IT in the corporate world comes to K-12.
Security in a Box by Matt Villano Are integrated security appliances right for your district?
Data Privacy Trouble Spots by Eric Svetcov Concerned about FERPA and HIPAA? Start by closing the gap on some commonly overlooked vulnerabilities.
SECURITY: Step by Step by Eric Svetcov Follow these essential steps to keep your school or district's network safe and sound.
Risky Business by Richard Hoffman A thorough--and realistic--risk assessment can help districts get a handle on potential security breaches.
Beyond Firewalls by Eric Svetcov Professional certification ensures your staff will understand information security in its proper context.
Network Monitoring: A 360-Degree Plan by Steven E. Miller and Chris Seiberling In the movies, a safe and happy ending often comes from last-minute heroics. In the equally virtual reality of school computer networks, however, success more typically depends on day-to-day operations. School IT staff must be constantly vigilant about a large constellation of security concerns, including physical
T&L Announces the 2009 Awards of Excellence Winners Tech & Learning magazine named 65 education technology products as winners in its prestigious 27-year-old recognition program.