A sizeable $200 million dollar fund to support schools’ and libraries’ efforts to increase their cybersecurity is a nod to the increased importance of data protection in the educational landscape. As districts prepare their materials for the projected application window this fall, school leaders will be required to evaluate the specific nature of their cybersecurity needs. Are they prepared for a cyber attack? Is there video footage that requires additional layers of protection? Federal fund allocation to bring libraries and schools closer to market standards speaks to the high stakes of data and digital security.
Selected districts in the pilot program will be eligible to receive up to $13.60 per student to cover the costs of one type of cybersecurity measure. The funds may be used to secure networks under four categories: advanced or next-generation firewalls; endpoint protection; identity protection and authentication; and monitoring, detection and response.
The pilot program will be funded through the FCC’s Universal Service Fund and will be independent from the commission’s E-rate program, a federal program that helps schools and libraries pay for broadband access. Applicants are not required to have gone through the E-rate program to be eligible for the pilot funds.
