Greenbush K12 Tech Blog

Modern school districts rely on hundreds of third-party applications, ranging from learning management systems and browser extensions to assessment platforms and parent communication tools. Each of these vendors connects to your network, accesses your data, or processes sensitive student information. Every one of them represents potential risk. While internal defenses like patching, MFA, and backups are essential, vendor risk management ensures your district is protected from vulnerabilities that originate outside your network . Why Vendor Risk Management Matters for Schools School technology ecosystems have expanded rapidly over the last decade. What used to be a handful of software systems is now a web of cloud tools, integrations, and data sharing agreements. Without strong oversight, this complexity creates real-world risk: Data Breaches via EdTech Vendors: Many school breaches occur not from internal attacks, but through compromised third-party systems. Privacy Compliance Exp...

  Ransomware attacks in education have increased over 70% in the past two years. In many cases, attackers: Encrypt file servers, SIS databases, and backups. Exfiltrate sensitive student or staff data for double-extortion . Demand payment to restore systems or prevent data release. For schools, the impact goes beyond IT: classroom instruction halts, payroll systems freeze, and community trust erodes. Compliance & Framework Alignment ITEC 7230a recommends that Kansas schools maintain incident response and business continuity plans, including recovery procedures. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 provides a clear structure for ransomware response: Respond (RS): Containment, eradication, and communication. Recover (RC): Restoration of systems and services, validation of backups, and lessons learned. Having a playbook for ransomware not only supports these standards — it helps IT teams act quickly when every minute counts. Step 1: Preparation and Prevention Before rans...