CISA to Host K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2021 Virtual Roundtable

This event will bring together stakeholders and representatives from the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) community, as well as from critical cybersecurity, education, federal, and state entities, to provide input on CISA’s proposed key themes, concepts, and areas of focus for the K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2021’s required study. Roundtable participants will be asked to review and discuss the primary cybersecurity needs, challenges, and risks facing the K-12 community, as well as share their guidance, input, and expertise with CISA on the act’s study and subsequent artifacts. Specific areas of focus and discussion for the roundtable will include the challenges schools face in securing information systems owned, leased, or relied upon by K-12 educational institutions; securing sensitive student and employee records; and implementing cybersecurity protocols.

The K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2021 directs CISA to study the cybersecurity risks facing elementary and secondary schools and develop voluntary recommendations that include cybersecurity guidelines designed to assist schools in facing those risks. Further, the act requires CISA to (1) develop an online training toolkit designed for school officials; and (2) make available on the DHS website the study’s findings, the cybersecurity guidelines, and the toolkit. To implement the act’s requirements, CISA is consulting with cybersecurity and education entities, including teachers, school administrators, federal agencies, non-federal cybersecurity entities with experience in education issues, and private sector organizations.

Due to capacity limitations, we are requesting attendance from no more than 1-2 representatives from your organization. We recommend participation from representatives that have direct knowledge of and/or expertise in the issues and areas of focus for the roundtable discussion. We ask that you do not forward this invitation to other entities without contacting CISA first.

To RSVP, please send your name, title, organization/affiliation, and email address to the CISA School Safety team at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov by 6:00 p.m. EST on Monday, January 3, 2022. Additional information – including the meeting access link – will be provided to confirmed participants by January 4, 2022.

We hope you can join us for this important stakeholder discussion. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the CISA School Safety team at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov.

*** There is no cost to attend this event. ***