Key points:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on June 6 adopted a three-year, $200 million school and library cybersecurity pilot program that will allow the FCC to obtain and analyze actionable data on which cybersecurity services and equipment would best help K-12 schools and libraries address growing cyber threats and attacks against their broadband networks.
Through the pilot, the FCC aims to learn how to improve schools' and libraries' defenses against sophisticated ransomware and cyberattacks that put students at risk and impede their learning.
The pilot will allow the FCC to collect the data needed to better understand if and how universal service funds could be used to support the cybersecurity needs of schools and libraries and share lessons learned with our federal partners to jointly combat this growing problem.
“This is a historic moment for schools and libraries across the country. “The cybersecurity threats facing our educational institutions are significant,” he said. Learning Funds CEO John Harrington in a sentence. “This pilot program represents a crucial step in providing the resources necessary to safeguard sensitive information and maintain secure and reliable access to digital learning tools.
“Cybersecurity in education is not just about protecting data; it is about safeguarding our children's future and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted learning environment for all. “We commend the FCC for recognizing the urgency of these issues and taking initial steps to address the cybersecurity concerns of E-rate applicants.”
In funds for learning Annual E-rate Applicant Survey, over the past six years, more than 95 percent of respondents believe cybersecurity products and services should be eligible for E-rate support. In the 2023 survey, more than 100 applicants They shared their individual opinions on the need for cybersecurity.
“CoSN applauds the FCC for its leadership in helping school districts address the serious and universal problem of cybersecurity threats,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of cosn. “This pilot program will not only provide much-needed support to a select group of schools and libraries, but will also offer valuable information about the scope of the challenge and the resources needed to keep our students and educators safe online. “We look forward to working closely with the FCC to ensure the success of the program and build a more secure future for schools’ digital infrastructure.”
Modeled after the Connected Care Pilot Program, the pilot program will make $200 million in Universal Service Fund support available to participating schools and libraries to defray the costs of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment. These funds are separate from the FCC's E-rate program, to ensure that gains in enhanced cybersecurity do not undermine E-rate's success in connecting schools and libraries and promoting digital equity.
This pilot is part of President Jessica Rosenworcel's Learn Without Limits initiative, which addresses the homework gap by ensuring connectivity in schools and libraries so that everyone, everywhere has access to high-speed Internet services. This initiative includes Wi-Fi on school buses, E-rate support for libraries in tribal communities, and funding from the FCC's E-rate program for off-site use of Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless Internet access services .
Material from a press release was used in this report.
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;
n.queue=();t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)(0);
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’,
‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘6079750752134785’);
fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
