Schools

The education sector, from K-12 schools to higher education institutions, faces growing cybersecurity challenges as it increasingly relies on digital platforms, cloud services, and interconnected systems to support learning, administration, and research. With vast amounts of sensitive student and staff data, along with intellectual property, educational institutions are attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in their networks and systems.

Our approach starts with comprehensive assessments to identify vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure, including data storage systems, learning management platforms, and administrative networks. We focus on risk mitigation strategies that strengthen security across the institution while maintaining compliance with key regulations such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

We provide vulnerability management and scanning services to detect and address potential threats before they become critical issues. This proactive approach helps educational institutions safeguard sensitive information, including personal data, financial records, and research projects. By implementing the results of our advisory services and assessments, we enhance overall security while reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches.

Our services align with the latest cybersecurity best practices in the education sector, helping schools and universities defend against ransomware attacks, phishing schemes, and other cyber threats. Through risk assessment and tailored mitigation strategies, we ensure that educational institutions can focus on their core mission of learning and development in a secure digital environment.

• Bottom line: Know what you’re protecting against.

• By gathering relevant threat assessment information from trusted sources, a clear picture of the adversary’s attributes and capabilities should be documented.

• The DBT is the threat against which a school must be protected and upon which the protective system’s design is based. It is the baseline threat that facilities and other high-consequence assets are designed to withstand. The DBT includes the characteristics, attributes, and tactics of outsiders and insiders that could be used against the asset. Furthermore, a DBT is derived from credible intelligence information and other relevant threat data and is updated annually.

• The VISA Methodology is one of the many VA tools that can use a specified DBT to determine the overall system effectiveness of an integrated PPS (Physical Protection System). VISA looks at the functions of Detection, Assessment, Delay, and Response to baseline the PPS to make informed, risk-based decisions and determine cost-effective upgrades. VISA is a methodology relying on SME input to help determine overall systems effectiveness against attack scenarios involving outsiders, insiders, and insiders colluding with outsiders.

• The VISA tool and methodology has been used within the Department of Energy for decades along with other tools to protect and safeguard critical and strategic nuclear assets. While not new, it is effective. S3 has applied VISA to the government sector and other critical infrastructure.

• Process: S3 utilizes a 5-step process that is flexible to adapt to the current state of maturity of our clients’ security. The process may be followed from start to finish, in a serial fashion, or a specific step may be implemented to fit the current need. This process was developed by key personnel at S3 over decades of experience in the military, cybersecurity, law enforcement, and national security and by utilizing, adapting, and organizing best practices, tools, and methodologies from that experience.

• People and Teams: There are three teams critical to the success of the process: 1) the Core Stakeholder Team to define the objectives and oversee the process, 2) the Design Basis Threat Team to define the threat and unacceptable consequences, 3) and the Vulnerability Assessment Team to exercise the situations against the DBT and to meet the objectives set by the Core Stakeholder Team.

• Methodology and tools to facilitate the key steps, specifically the Design Basis Threat Tool and Vulnerability Assessment Tool for steps 2 and 3.

An insider is any person who has or had authorized access to or knowledge of an organization’s resources and operations including personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, and systems. This includes current or former students, employees, contractors, and vendors and both physical and cybersecurity domains.  Your insider threat is the potential for an insider to use their authorized access or understanding of your organization to cause harm or collude with outsiders.

S3 can help you develop an Insider Threat Mitigation Program to:

• Define the threats
• Identify and detect insider threats
• Assess insider threats
• Manage the threats

Bomb threats involving schools can have severe impacts on facilities, groups, activities or events, as well as on the students, staff, and community. These threats are dangerous, disruptive and expensive. Not only can they interrupt school operations, but they can also cause emotional distress to the students, staff, and community.

Having a bomb threat response plan enables school decision-makers to respond more effectively to these criminal activities, mitigating the impact a bomb threat can have on a school.

Safeguards 3 can assist schools in developing, implementing, and exercising their bomb threat response plan in alignment with best practices.