While security might not present itself as an immediate emergency, school leaders should consult regularly with their IT teams about this significant technology risk. One of the major barriers to these conversations is the lack of a common vocabulary. The world of cybersecurity is full of technical terms that may be bewildering to school leaders who find themselves more familiar with the world of education. Let’s take a look at six questions that you can use to start an informed conversation at your school.

Over the years, I’ve seen a remarkable shift in the way organizations approach their cybersecurity strategies. After the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) debuted, most security programs focused on compliance issues. Organizations scrambled to ensure their operations were up to par before the…

Mobility has transformed business. Customers now bank while waiting in supermarket checkout lines and order groceries as they sit in the bank drive-through line. Retailers send discount offers to shoppers’ phones while they’re still in the store, and insurance companies let customers file claims and upload damage photos via smartphone apps. 

Technological advances have greatly improved the capabilities of oil, gas and utility companies to produce, distribute and manage energy, but these advances come with risk. The more these entities rely on remote wireless and wired network technologies, the greater the threats they face from cyberattackers who want to compromise their information systems.