2023 Report: Truth About Your Children's Safety Online at School
V3Cybersecurity
V3 Cybersecurity, Inc. is a unique company focused on contextualization of security programs in schools.
We surveyed 2,000 parents to uncover the truth about how they feel regarding their children’s safety online at school. Protecting children online is critical for their education and development. Cyber threats can severely impact children’s ability to learn and grow. Measuring parent perspectives provides crucial insights into improving cybersecurity for students.
Why Cybersecurity Matters for Children's Education
Our latest survey reveals sobering facts about the state of cybersecurity in schools. With over 80% of parents distrusting schools to keep kids safe online, there is an urgent need for improvement. The data shows that the current state of cybersecurity in the education system is severely lacking. Schools have a responsibility to protect students, but they are falling short when it comes to digital threats.
The consequences of poor school cybersecurity can be extremely detrimental to children. Cyberattacks can lead to data breaches exposing students’ personal information, hacking of test scores and grades, ransomware attacks halting learning, and more. Weak security puts children at increased risk for online bullying, predators, identity theft, and psychological harm. Studies show that over 50% of students have already experienced cyberbullying. The impact of digital threats on children’s wellbeing and education is profound.
Our survey asked parents “Do you trust your school to keep your children safe online?” Over 80% said no. This staggering number indicates schools have lost the trust of parents when it comes to protecting kids in the digital realm. Parents want assurances that the necessary investments into cybersecurity safeguards, staff training, threat monitoring, and incident response plans are being made. Most schools allocate less than 3% of their budgets to IT security, woefully low for the complex threat landscape.
School leaders can no longer ignore glaring gaps in their security postures. Proven frameworks and defense solutions exist, but implementation requires more prioritization and funding. Partnering with leading experts to conduct risk assessments and improve defenses would demonstrate to parents a commitment to student safety. In an increasingly digital education system with growing data collection, strong security and data stewardship practices must be at the foundation in order to earn back parent trust. There is an urgent need for schools to reevaluate their security now to fulfill their ultimate duty of keeping children safe.
Cyber threats can severely impact children's ability to learn and grow. Measuring parent perspectives provides crucial insights into improving cybersecurity for students.
Trends and Predictions: The Future of Cybersecurity in Schools
If strides are not made to improve security postures, risks to students will only intensify. By 2024, experts predict cyberattacks on schools will double as education budgets for tech security remain stagnant. The expansion of digital learning through VR/AR and internet-connected devices in classrooms will open new attack vectors. AI-powered hacking tools on the dark web make launching customized attacks easier for criminals.
As more sensitive student data is collected, schools will face growing privacy regulations and fines for non-compliance. Legal battles around educational cyber liability will emerge as breaches expose staff negligence. Cyberinsurance costs for schools will surge over 300% by 2026.
Parents will demand transparency around security practices and many will opt out of programs perceiving privacy risks. Districts proclaiming “digital literacy” without the defenses to match will lose community trust. Student cyber safety will become a pivotal issue in school board elections by the end of the decade.
Justifying the Predictions
Our latest survey of 2,000 parents underscores why these cybersecurity predictions will likely come to fruition:
- 60% of parents said they worry about school cybersecurity, indicating risks are already top of mind.
- An overwhelming 84% do not trust their school to keep kids safe online currently. Trust will rapidly decline without improvements.
- 92% of parents want more protection for students online, demanding schools take action.
The remedies exist if school leaders choose to act now. Implementing adaptive security frameworks, routine penetration testing, 24/7 monitoring, AI threat detection, and incident response protocols run by dedicated IT security staff will become the new norm. A cultural shift prioritizing security alongside learning is key to a safer digital future.
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