An international coalition of four countries鈥擜ustralia, India, Japan, and the United States鈥攁re teaming up to shine a spotlight on cyber threats that affect governments and schools.
The initiative, called the Quad Cyber Challenge, was announced by , and comes at a time when schools are facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
鈥淚nternet-users worldwide are targets of cybercrime and other malicious cyber threats that can cost trillions of dollars each year and compromise sensitive, personal data,鈥� the White House said in a statement. 鈥淢any cyberattacks can be guarded against by simple preventative measures.鈥�
Education鈥攊ncluding at the K-12 level鈥攚ill be a key part of the work. Code.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science education, will release a video series that educators can use to help kids learn about cyberthreats. The links to other resources for students created by federal agencies,
There鈥檚 also a schools can use with staff or students. It advises tech users to think before clicking, use a password manager, enable multi-factor authentication, lock devices, back up files, delete unused apps, and avoid using public WiFi and charging stations.
There are specific tips listed for children, too. The checklist advises kids to take care of their tech, only download apps if a parent or teacher says they are safe, and not to give out their personal information.
Other educational resources may be released over the next couple of months, in advance of the culmination of the initiative, scheduled for April 10-12.
The initiative comes as K-12 schools鈥攊ncluding the nation鈥檚 second largest, Los Angeles Unified鈥�have been hit by increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. It鈥檚 a growing problem that鈥檚 now tougher to tackle as districts lean further into the use of technology for teaching and learning and school management, and as cyber criminals get craftier.
