In response to mounting cyber threats facing school districts across the country, CoSN has launched a nationwide advocacy campaign. They are mobilizing EdTech leaders, educators, and stakeholders to urge Congress to maintain federal support for cybersecurity assistance in K–12 education.
The campaign includes coordinated outreach through emails, phone calls, letters, and social media, underscoring the urgent need to protect schools from growing cyber threats in the face of budget cuts.
Recent Developments
Recent actions by the Trump Administration have eliminated key funding for school-focused cybersecurity initiatives through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It includes support from the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), while cutting staff at the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. These actions strip away critical resources that help schools defend against ransomware and other cyber threats.
Cybersecurity remains the top priority for EdTech leaders—according to the CoSN 2024 State of EdTech District Leadership report—with 99% of districts taking measures to improve protections. However, as federal emergency funding comes to an end, forthcoming data from the 2025 report reveals heightened concern. 35% of districts say cybersecurity is the area most at risk—threatening hard-won progress and increasing schools’ exposure to attacks.
Who Is Affected?
The scope of the threat is substantial. According to the 2025 CIS MS-ISAC K–12 Cybersecurity Report, 82% of K–12 organizations experienced cyber threat impacts. This includes nearly 14,000 security events and 9,300 confirmed incidents. Moreover, attacks are becoming more sophisticated, with cybercriminals targeting human behavior at least 45% more than technical vulnerabilities.
Meanwhile, school districts remain under-resourced. Data from the CoSN 2025 National Student Data Privacy Report found that 73% of district EdTech leaders who are responsible for building and maintaining student data privacy programs say it’s not part of their official job description, and 17% have never received any privacy training.
What Can Be Done?
Still, districts are taking action. The CoSN 2025 State of EdTech District Leadership report highlights a growing investment in cybersecurity infrastructure: 78% of districts are investing in monitoring, detection, and response; 65% in endpoint protection; 57% in advanced/next generation firewall; and 57% in identity protection and authentication as cybersecurity tactics.
The campaign urges immediate Congressional action to restore and maintain cybersecurity funding that schools depend on. Stakeholders are encouraged to get involved and speak out in support of continued protection for K–12 systems.
CoSN is a world-class professional association for K–12 EdTech leaders. They are driven by a mission to equip current and aspiring K–12 education technology leaders, their teams, and school districts with the community, knowledge, and professional development they need to cultivate engaging learning environments.
TEACH is the largest national education publication in Canada. We support good teachers and teaching and believe in innovation in education.
