Senate advances legislation protecting K-12 school systems from cyberattacks

Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rick Scott (R-FL) that would enhance cybersecurity assistance to K-12 schools systems pass the Senate, the Congressmen announced Tuesday.

The bill, the K-12 Cybersecurity Act, would help educational institutions bolster their cybersecurity protections to secure sensitive records related to their students and employees, including grades, family records, medical histories, and employment information.

“Increasing ransomware attacks against our K-12 schools are unacceptable and place children, faculty, and staff at risk. Unfortunately, many school districts that store valuable personal information currently lack the means to defend themselves against complicated cyber-attacks and ensure their networks are protected,” Peters said. “I’m pleased this bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate. I urge my colleagues in the House to quickly pass this legislation so we can safeguard students and help our dedicated educators and school administrators deter network breaches and ensure that criminals are not able to steal sensitive personal information.”

The bill would instruct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to look at the risks and challenges schools face in securing their systems and then create cybersecurity recommendations and other resources for schools to use in implementing their own cybersecurity solutions.

Last month, the bill passed the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Now that the bill has passed in the Senate, it will head to the House for a vote there.

“The safety of American families is always a top priority – and that includes the safety of their personal information. Cybersecurity in our K-12 schools is critical to protecting private, personal information of students, educators, employees, and their families,” U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said. “I’m proud to have the Senate pass our legislation ensuring schools have every resource they need to bolster cybersecurity and keep their networks, our students, and teachers safe.”

The K-12 Cybersecurity Act is supported by the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning, Consortium for School Networking, School Superintendents Association, National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the American Federation of Teachers.