April Mardock, Chief Information Security Officer at WASIPC, joins the podcast to analyze the primary entry points targeted in K-12 ransomware incidents. The discussion offers actionable guidance on multi-factor authentication, vendor risk management, data retention policies, and using gamified tabletop exercises to prepare school leadership for cyber incidents.

• April’s LinkedIn profile and email address
• Cybersecurity tabletop simulation game (Gemini Gem), step into the hot seat of a live cyber attack and lead your team to safety
• I Asked 24 Ransomed School Districts How the Attackers Got In - There Were Only Three Answers, LinkedIn article that April authored
• K-12 SIX (K-12 Security Information Sharing and Analysis Center), threat intelligence community providing free K-12 cybersecurity guidance, checklist guides, and standards
• WISPC, public, non-profit agency in Washington state that provides technology solutions, data management, and cooperative purchasing services to K-12 schools
• Cyberforce|Q service from WISPC, building and implementing cybersecurity programs for organizations of all sizes
• Bluum service from WISPC, helping educators leverage technology to create a more effective and engaging student experience
• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; as the national coordinator for critical infrastructure security and resilience, CISA works with partners at every level to identify and manage risk to the cyber and physical infrastructure that Americans rely on every hour of every day. CISA works with partners to defend against today’s threats and collaborate to build a more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future.
• Secure Cloud Business Application (SCuBA), CISA project providing tailored cloud solutions guidance and secure configuration baselines (SCBs) for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace applications. SCuBA’s guidance aims to protect information that organizations create, access, share, or store in cloud environments.
• Backdoors and Breaches, incident response card game