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White House to provide free cybersecurity software for schools
Acting Cabinet Secretary, CIO, CISO Raja Sambandam, Director Harry Coker Jr., Jeff Rothblum (White House), Andy Buschbom CISA, Mariana Padilla Office of the Governor, PED Cabinet Secretary Arsenio Romero, HED Cabinet Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez, HED CIO Isaac Bush take part in a Cybersecurity/ K-12 Roundtable event in Santa Fe on May 31.
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The New Mexico Department of Information Technology hosted a roundtable discussion Friday with White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr., the New Mexico Public Education and Higher Education Departments, staff from the governor’s office and members of the K-12 education community to promote cybersecurity and discuss ways to beef up protections for schools’ digital environments.
At the forum, Coker announced no-cost tools available to local and intermediate school districts to improve their cybersecurity posture, particularly Protective Domain Name Service (PDNS), a critical and easy to use cybersecurity service.
“We understand the unique threat on K-12 school districts, and that’s why it was tremendously valuable to hear from those on the front lines here in New Mexico about their challenges and share the many resources available to schools from the federal government and our partners,” Coker said. “It is absolutely necessary that we shift the responsibility of defending cyberspace off the shoulders of schools and school administrators and onto organizations that are best positioned to reduce risk and we are here to help — help schools with resources that can provide protection in the short term and help alleviate the larger challenges that put them at risk in the long term.”
During the forum, Coker heard from K-12 representatives about schools’ cybersecurity challenges and learned about their efforts to keep New Mexico school and student data safe.
"Today's roundtable discussion with Director Coker demonstrates the critical importance of cybersecurity in our schools. As we continue to navigate an increasingly digital world, it is imperative that we safeguard our students' data and educational resources,” said New Mexico Secretary of Public Education Arsenio Romero.“The insights shared, and the resources highlighted during this event will empower our schools to enhance their cybersecurity measures. We are collaborating with federal partners and leveraging these tools to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for every student in New Mexico."
