Information Technology

Information, news and features for the education sector IT professionals


Four Ways IT Pros Can Boost Data Protection

A longtime technology professional specializing in data protection and disaster recovery shares four types of tools every K-12 school district should be using to bolster their data protection systems and boost their cybersecurity resilience.

ASUS Introduces 21-Hour-Battery Detachable Laptop for Education Users

Computer maker ASUS has announced the launch of its ExpertBook B3 detachable (B3000) laptop, designed for student education. Its 21-hour-long battery life is one of its major attractions, the company said in a recent release. It features top-up 15-second charging to provide 45 minutes of use.

School Website Provider Finalsite Acquires Anthology's Blackboard K12 Community Engagement Division

Finalsite, a website provider for K–12 schools, today announced it has acquired Anthology’s Blackboard K–12 Community Engagement division, which includes Blackboard Web Community Manager, Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Reach, Blackboard Mass Notifications, and the Blackboard Mobile Communications App, according to a news release.

Edmodo Users: One Week Left to Save Your Data Before It’s Deleted on Sept. 23

Edmodo will permanently shutter on Sept. 22, and educators who have used the platform will no longer have access to their accounts, their instructional content, nor their student data, the company said — here's how to export all the teacher and student files and data before the platform shuts down and deletes all accounts and associated files and data.

LAUSD Chief Gets Unlimited Emergency Spending Powers After Vice Society Claims Stolen Data From Ransomware Attack

New details about the Labor Day weekend ransomware attack on Los Angeles Unified School District have trickled out over the past week, indicating that district officials may be negotiating with the threat actors to preserve district data stolen during the incident — and that they are definitely diving into major IT and cybersecurity upgrades.

LAUSD Ransomware Attack: A Wake-Up Call for Policymakers?

Though Los Angeles Unified School District leaders framed last weekend's ransomware attack and response as "unprecedented," cybersecurity research shows the only things "unprecedented" were the immediate federal assistance LAUSD received in mitigating the damage and the international press attention — most districts have to fend for themselves, and experts say it's long past time for federal lawmakers to institute real change.

FBI and CISA Release Ransomware Alert on Vice Society Targeting Education Orgs

A joint Cybersecurity Advisory released today by the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center — as those agencies help investigate the Labor Day weekend ransomware attack on Los Angeles Unified School District — warns that Vice Society threat actors are disproportionately targeting the education sector as recently as this month.

Los Angeles Unified, Feds Investigating As Ransomware Attack Cripples IT Systems

A ransomware attack over Labor Day weekend brought to a standstill the online systems of Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest K–12 district in the country with about 640,000 students, LAUSD officials confirmed this morning in a statement on its website.

Nationwide Initiative Offers Stipends for Math Teachers' Input to Build Evidence Database on Teaching Tools

A new project by two education nonprofits will pay thousands of teachers to document and share their experiences in selecting and using digital math tools — and that data will be available immediately to help math educators choose the best ed tech tools for their needs and more effectively implement and use those tools.

Discovery Education Acquires Science Experiment Platform Pivot Interactives

Discovery Education and its parent company Clearlake Capital Group today announced the acquisition of Minneapolis-based Pivot Interactives SBC, whose science experiment videos are used by about 1 million students, according to the companies.

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