Dr. Pablo Molina

Students can’t learn effectively unless they’re safe! In K–12 education 🏫, it's critical to adopt a layered approach to security. Schools must ensure that both physical and cybersecurity measures are robust and interconnected to protect students effectively. Don Hough, Deputy Associate Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s School Safety Task Force suggests implementing multiple layers of security to reduce single points of failure and build redundancy into the system.   This approach helps schools manage and mitigate the evolving and sophisticated threats they face, ensuring a safe learning environment for all. Read more about the importance of a layered security approach in K–12 education: https://lnkd.in/e6tkREfw #K12 #CyberSecurity #SchoolSafety #Education

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Pure joy!!! Honored to present at the EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals conference this week in Baltimore with James Tucciarone III, CISSP. Our talk, How Boola the Cyber Bee Transformed Yale’s Awareness Program: Building Buzz to Boost Engagement, was buzzing with excitement! 🐝 Marketing and branding can add a big boost to your awareness program! It's made a huge difference at Yale University. Here’s a sneak peek of what we'll be sharing this summer at the SANS Security Awareness Summit in Chicago. 🎤 #cybersecurity #cybersecurityawareness #humanrisk #marketing #branding Lance Spitzner Michelle Brown, SSAP James Mountford - we’re going to have big fun!!

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My Augusta University Department of Social Sciences colleague Dr. Lance Y. Hunter shares his expertise about the need for collaboration in cybersecurity.

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After 18 months of work, I'm proud to share the release of a new white paper from ATARC’s Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development Working Group: The Convergence of AI and Cybersecurity in Education, Workforce Development, and Campus Infrastructure. I had the opportunity to serve as a lead author on this work, which explores how AI is reshaping cybersecurity education, workforce readiness, and the way colleges and universities think about securing increasingly complex digital environments. The paper focuses on: • Integrating AI and cybersecurity into education and training programs • Preparing the workforce for AI-enabled threats and defenses • Securing campus infrastructure in an era of automation and scale • Policy and technology considerations shaping what comes next This work is especially timely for higher education leaders, security practitioners, and policymakers who are navigating rapid change with real operational and risk implications. 📖 Read the full white paper here: https://lnkd.in/g9GQBe93 #Cybersecurity #ArtificialIntelligence #HigherEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #ATARC #SecurityLeadership

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Thank you for the kind words in your latest piece. Higher Ed environments are uniquely open and collaborative. Securing them requires a different mindset. It’s less about "command and control" and more about building a network of trust. I’ve always believed that a CISO's best tool is an honest relationship with their community. If they don't trust you, they'll find ways around the controls. If they do, they become your strongest advocates.

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The fury of cyber attacks on education is unyielding. Why is Education such a big Target? ‼️ Large Digital Footprint (Faculty, staff, student data combined with tool sprawl and shadow IT) ‼️ Uniquely susceptible to external pressures (reputation/regulations/media) ‼️More likely than any other industry to pay the ransom (see above) ‼️ Data rich environments with our most vulnerable population (mental health records, minor and guardian PII, blood glucose monitors connected to the network) ‼️Limited resources (people, process, technology) As of today - ➡️ Ransomware gangs have ramped up attacks on colleges and K-12 schools in April and May, likely hoping the need for technology during final exams will force schools to pay ransoms. ➡️ Experts have tracked more than 70 ransomware attacks on educational institutions so far this year https://lnkd.in/e_mX3VJR What can you do? ⭐ Make sure you manage and test your backups: Nearly all educational organizations hit by ransomware in the past year said that the cybercriminals attempted to compromise their backups during the attack - the 2nd highest rate of successful backup compromise across all sectors after the energy, oil/gas and utilities sector. ⭐ Update and test your Incident Response Plan: The mean cost in 2024 for K12 organizations to recover from a ransomware attack was $3.76 million, more than 2x reported in 2023. The price tag is even heftier for higher education institutions, averaging $4.01 million, nearly 4x higher than in 2023. #cybersecurityforeducation #bettertogether #k12 #highered #nysernet

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A House panel approved a fiscal 2026 funding bill Monday that would cut the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency by $135 million from fiscal 2025, significantly less than the Trump administration’s proposed $495 million. The chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Rep. Mark Amodei, said the annual Department of Homeland Security funding measure “responsibly trimmed” the CISA budget. But Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood, the top Democrat on his panel, said the legislation “fails to address the catastrophic cybersecurity threats facing our critical infrastructure.” The subcommittee approved the bill by a vote of 8-4. CISA would get $2.7 billion under the measure, according to a committee fact sheet, or $134.8 million less than the prior year. https://lnkd.in/ezxcf9rU

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At #FedTalks, I underscored CISA’s mission to keep America safe, secure, and resilient — especially as AI transforms the systems we rely on every day. CISA is advancing the AI Action Plan by: •Protecting AI innovations against malicious actors and insider threats. •Establishing an AI-ISAC to share security intelligence across critical sectors. •Coordinating AI hackathons and driving responsible AI vulnerability disclosure. •Working with federal and international partners to set secure AI guidelines. Our focus is clear: accelerate innovation, build resilient AI infrastructure, and ensure America leads in AI and cybersecurity with security and resilience at the core.

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