K-12 schools are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals due to the valuable data they store, including student records, financial details, and staff information. Many schools, however, struggle with limited cybersecurity resources, making them vulnerable to attacks. The CIS Controls Implementation Group 1 (IG1) offers a cost-effective, prioritized approach to securing sensitive data and strengthening cybersecurity resilience in schools.
What Is CIS Controls Implementation Group 1 (IG1)?
The CIS Critical Security Controls provide a framework for organizations to improve their security posture. Implementation Group 1 (IG1) consists of foundational security measures designed for organizations with limited IT and cybersecurity resources—making it ideal for K-12 schools.
Selected IG1 Controls for Securing K-12 Schools
Following is a list of selected IG1 controls that can be extremely effective at building cyber resilience and reducing risk.
Inventory and Control of Enterprise Assets
Schools must maintain an up-to-date inventory of all devices, including computers, tablets, and servers, to ensure unauthorized devices do not access the network.
Actionable Steps:
- Implement asset management tools to track devices.
- Regularly audit connected devices and remove unauthorized ones.
- Challenges: With students using personal and school-issued devices, tracking assets can be challenging. Schools can mitigate this by implementing device registration programs and requiring authentication before accessing school networks.
Inventory and Control of Software Assets
Unauthorized or outdated software can introduce vulnerabilities into school networks.
Actionable Steps:
- Maintain a list of approved software and remove unused applications.
- Use automated patch management tools to keep software up to date.
- Challenges: Schools often use a variety of software for learning purposes, increasing the attack surface. A solution is to centralize software procurement through IT and enforce policies restricting unauthorized downloads.
Data Protection
Protecting student and staff data is essential for compliance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and other privacy regulations.
Actionable Steps:
- Encrypt sensitive data stored on school systems.
- Restrict access to student records based on user roles.
- Regularly back up data and test recovery procedures.
- Challenges: With remote learning and cloud-based systems, data is often stored across multiple platforms. Schools can address this by adopting cloud security solutions that provide end-to-end encryption and automated access control.
Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software
Misconfigured systems can expose schools to security risks.
Actionable Steps:
- Implement security benchmarks for system configurations.
- Disable unnecessary features, services, and accounts on school devices.
- Challenges: Many schools use pre-configured software that may not be secure by default. Partnering with vendors who provide security-optimized settings can simplify implementation.
Account Management
Unauthorized access is a major risk in educational environments.
Actionable Steps:
- Require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access to sensitive systems.
- Enforce strong password policies for all school accounts.
- Remove inactive or unnecessary user accounts promptly.
- Challenges: Students frequently share devices, making account security difficult. Schools can implement single sign-on (SSO) solutions and enforce per-session logins to mitigate risks.
Access Control Management
Limiting access to sensitive systems ensures that only authorized users can modify critical data.
Actionable Steps:
- Use role-based access controls (RBAC) to assign appropriate permissions.
- Regularly review and adjust access levels based on staff roles.
- Challenges: Teachers and administrators often need different levels of access. Schools can simplify this by automating access provisioning based on job roles.
Continuous Vulnerability Management
Identifying and addressing vulnerabilities proactively reduces the risk of cyberattacks.
Actionable Steps:
- Conduct regular vulnerability scans to detect security gaps.
- Prioritize patching known vulnerabilities in school systems.
- Challenges: Many schools lack dedicated IT security staff. Partnering with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) can provide affordable and continuous vulnerability monitoring.
Security Awareness and Training
Educating staff, teachers, and students on cybersecurity best practices is a critical component of risk reduction.
Actionable Steps:
- Conduct phishing awareness training for all employees.
- Provide simple cybersecurity guidelines for students and staff.
- Simulate cyber threats to test user awareness and response.
- Challenges: Schools often struggle with engagement in security training. Gamified training programs and real-world simulations can increase participation and retention.
Email and Web Browser Protections
Email-based threats, such as phishing, are common attack vectors against schools.
Actionable Steps:
- Enable email filtering to block malicious messages.
- Restrict users from downloading files from untrusted sources.
- Use DNS filtering to prevent access to malicious websites.
- Challenges: Many students and teachers rely on personal emails for communication, increasing exposure to threats. Schools can enforce policies requiring school-issued email accounts for official communications.
Incident Response Management
Having a structured incident response plan ensures schools can quickly respond to and recover from cyber incidents.
Actionable Steps:
- Develop and regularly update an incident response plan.
- Conduct tabletop exercises to test incident response readiness.
- Assign clear roles and responsibilities for handling security incidents.
- Challenges: Many schools lack a dedicated security team. Leveraging automated incident detection tools and collaborating with local cybersecurity agencies can help bridge the gap.
Challenges Schools May Face in Implementing Controls
Limited IT Staff – Many schools lack dedicated cybersecurity personnel.
- Solution: Leverage automated security solutions and seek external cybersecurity assistance.
Budget Constraints – Schools often operate on tight budgets with minimal cybersecurity funding.
- Solution: Utilize free or low-cost security tools and government grants for cybersecurity improvements.
Student and Staff Compliance – Getting students and faculty to follow security policies can be difficult.
- Solution: Simplify security processes and make policies easy to understand and follow.
Conclusion
K-12 schools must prioritize cybersecurity to protect sensitive data and maintain trust with students, parents, and staff. By leveraging CIS Controls Implementation Group 1 (IG1), schools can implement foundational security measures that reduce risk, enhance compliance, and improve overall cyber resilience—without overwhelming their IT resources.
How the CYRISMA Platform can help
CYRISMA combines essential cyber risk management and compliance features in a single, easy-to-use, affordably priced platform. The platform is enabling IT teams in K-12 schools across the US to manage risk in a holistic, simple and cost-effective manner.
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