Vendor Report: Money the Answer to Lax School Security

This shouldn't come as too surprising:

Schools are not adequately protecting students either in cyberspace or in their buildings, and more money is needed to improve the situation, according to a report released by a leading government supplier of IT products and services.

In a survey of 381 school districts, CDW-G found that schools tend to rely too heavily on technology to protect students from cyberthreats. Out of a possible 110 points on the CDW-G cyber safety index, CDW-G gave districts an average score of 55.3. On the positive side, most districts monitor students' Internet activity, block Web sites and place computer monitors in view of adults. On the negative side, fewer than two out of five districts close their network to provide more control over communication and content access (although many students know how to circumvent the networks by using proxy sites), only about a third update their acceptable use policies once a year (an unacceptable trend now that social networking sites such as Facebook are available), and only 8 percent of districts provide cyber safety training to students, such as including awareness training on identity theft and "the potential impact that inappropriate content can have on a student's college and career plans," according to an accompanying press release.

As for physical security, districts scored an average of 44 out of a possible 160 points. While 63 percent of districts use security cameras to scan school property, "only 24 percent of districts report having real-time access to sex offender databases," according to the report.

CDW-G reports that half of all districts say that a tight security and IT budget is the primary barrier to improving security. CDW-G, not surprisingly, offers this advice: "The School Safety Index can help IT and security directors make the case for additional funding by helping district leaders understand the tools and resources that may prevent or mitigate security breaches, thereby lessening the long-term impact that a breach can have on a district. CDW-G also recommends that districts turn to peers and the vendor community to understand their options regarding new security technology and best practices."

More money may be the answer, but citing a vendor report may make school information security managers' argument for a bigger budget actually a tougher sell to the school board.