OPINION:
Fairfax County Public Schools — Virginia’s largest school district with over 180,000 students — illustrates the growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in public education.
Recent breaches, including a 2020 ransomware attack by the Maze group and a 2023 incident exposing unredacted student records, underscore systemic failures in safeguarding sensitive data such as health records and academic information. These issues reflect a national crisis that demands immediate attention.
Educational institutions face an average of 2,507 cyberattack attempts weekly, yet many, including FCPS, rely heavily on cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services, mistakenly assuming these vendors ensure security. However, CSPs only provide tools; schools retain ultimate responsibility.
FCPS’s negligence highlights this, as breaches exposed private data, including sensitive mental health records, on the dark web. Such failures stem from mismanagement and a lack of leadership.
The incoming Trump administration has an opportunity to mandate cybersecurity reforms. Federal funding should require schools to adopt standardized frameworks like NIST SP 800-53, conduct independent audits and prioritize modernization of aging IT systems. Centralized technology stacks, endpoint security and Zero Trust architectures are essential to closing gaps. Executive order 13800, which strengthened federal cybersecurity, can serve as a model for education.
Transparency and accountability must also improve. FCPS’s mishandling of breaches exemplifies poor communication with parents, eroding trust. Federal guidelines should enforce timely reporting and penalties for noncompliance.
Cybersecurity in schools is not a partisan issue, but a national priority. Protecting students’ data and restoring trust in public education demands decisive action. By implementing robust policies, the federal government can secure the future of education and safeguard America’s children.
HARRY JACKSON
Fairfax, Virginia
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