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Advice for Combatting Cyber Threats

Listed as one of EdTech Magazine’s K-12 IT influencers for 2020, Greg Bagby is currently the Coordinator of Instructional Technology for the Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In this position, Greg works with schools that are 1:1, assisting them in integrating technology into their curriculum. Before this position, Greg was the principal at Barger Academy of Fine Arts, where he spent 10 years infusing technology into the arts program. Greg also serves as a Professional Learning Specialist for NCCE.

He has presented at Google Summits, state and national technology conferences, and EdCamp Encore events. He also hosts the educational podcast “Books with Bagby.” We asked Greg to share his expertise and insights on the current state of IT threats and his advice to schools as we move into new digital territory. 

What have been the most significant changes in the IT threat landscape over the past decade, and how has this shaped your approach to cybersecurity in schools? 

Over the past few years, there have been more and more cyberattacks via phishing and spam emails. Some attacks focus on social engineering, using fake emails of authority or familiarity to trick people into selecting malicious links. We have deployed email tests throughout the district to help educate and inform people of ways bad actors can maliciously gather passwords or other Personal Identifiable Information (PII). We also have multi-factor authentication methods set up to add another layer of security to keep the bad actors at bay.

How do you balance the need for robust security measures with the equally important need for accessibility and ease of use for students and educators? 

We work with our partners to ensure they have system requirements to keep our students safe. It necessitates having a written agreement with information from our corporate partners explaining the importance of security for us with the products we adopt. Many of the corporate partners understand the need to keep students safe and are willing to work with us to ensure that the systems are in place for the needed security as well as accessibility and ease of use.

What core competencies in IT security do you believe teachers and administrators should be equipped with, and what’s the best way to integrate this into ongoing professional learning?

It’s as simple as having a solid password to foil many of the attacks that one may receive. When thinking of core competencies, I think of the idea of the password with special characters and numbers, multi-factor authentication, and an understanding of being aware of the links that you click in the emails that you receive.

“To prepare for future technological developments, schools need to catch up with what’s happening with AI.”

– Gregory Bagby, Coordinator of Instructional Technology, Hamilton County Department of Education

Can you share some best practices you’ve established at HCDE to ensure student data is protected, especially with the increasing use of cloud-based platforms and services?

It goes back to the agreements with our corporate partners. Agreeing to keep our data protected and safe so there would be minimum breaches. Multi-factor authentication also takes place and minimizes access to PII and confidential information to those who truly need the information.

What are the biggest challenges schools face when integrating new technologies into the classroom, and how can they be addressed effectively?

From my position, the biggest hurdle in integrating technology into the classroom is the lack of professional learning on the tool or the idea of the tool. Some teachers are afraid to jump in headfirst because they need more time to evaluate a tool that will not work for them. However, if trained properly, the teachers can use the tool immediately or have an idea of its outcomes and could implement the tool more readily.

How should K-12 institutions prepare for future technological developments, and what steps can they take now to build a secure, flexible IT infrastructure that supports both teaching and learning? 

To prepare for future technological developments, schools need to catch up with what’s happening with AI. The AI conversation has been pushed to the side by some and embraced by others. It is not going away, and this is the worst it’s ever going to get. AI is only going to get better, and teachers and schools will need to find ways to embrace it to enhance students’ learning. As for steps to take now, I suggest creating a team in their school or district to look at how AI can be leveraged, not only by the individual student but also by the school’s IT administrator or the district CTO.