STN EXPOs Offer Tips for Safeguarding Transportation Operations from Hackers

In January, the New York City Department of Education set a dubious record. The largest public school district in the U.S. suffered the single largest cybersecurity attack perpetrated on a school system. According to Education Week, hackers successfully targeted 820,000 records containing personal information for current and former students, that was housed by a vendor the New York City district contracts with.

While that hack hit a company that tracks grades and attendance, the lesson to learn is that school bus and student transportation data can be just as susceptible. The FBI and the Transportation Security Administration have been warning transportation operations for several years that they need to take action to protect student data.

Sessions planned for the STN EXPO Indianapolis in June and STN EXPO Reno in July take aim at protecting student transporters and the students and parents they serve. Representatives of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, an operational component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will share information provide an overview of recent school data hacks on how student transporters can help safeguard data, especially as more of it is flowing to and from school buses than ever before.

Steven Broniarczyk, a CISA protective security advisor, speaks at STN EXPO Indianapolis on June 6. Meanwhile, Dr. Rick Hays, CISA’s cybersecurity state coordinator for Nevada, will speak on July 18 STN EXPO Reno.

Online registration for STN EXPO closes May 13. Walk-up registration will be available at the Indiana Convention Center with the opening of the conference on June 3.

Register online for STN EXPO Reno through June 24 or register at the Peppermill Resort Hotel beginning on July 15.