Information Technology

Information, news and features for the education sector IT professionals


Chromebooks See Minor Contraction as Tablets Continue Plunge

Four of the top-5 tablet makers saw double-digit declines in shipments in the second quarter of 2023 — including Apple — according to recently released preliminary market data. Meanwhile Chromebooks declined only slightly in the quarter, with the top-2 companies seeing positive gains.

chart shows survey responses from K-12 teachers and parents about how aware they are of their school safety preparedness

New Report Reveals Parents' and Teachers' Critical Perspective on School Safety

A new report from Motorola Solutions reveals parents’ and teachers’ top concerns and how much they know about and are confident in their schools’ safety planning and emergency response preparation.

Pie chart and bar graph shows the tech consent practices in U.S. K-12 schools revealing most schools do not get consent from parents for ed tech their kids use

Majority of School Apps Advertising to Kids Even In SOPIPA States, ISL Data Shows

A new in-depth analysis from Internet Safety Labs’ 2022 K–12 EdTech Safety Benchmark Findings reveals alarming data about advertising in apps widely used by schools and finds that state privacy laws and third-party certifications claiming to keep students’ data private are often not making kids any safer.

a pyramid chart shows the types of cyber threats recorded in the first half of 2023

K12 Schools See Massive Spike in Malware and CryptoJacking in First Half of 2023

K–12 schools and other education organizations in the United States are experiencing a “massive spike” in malware, encrypted threats, and cryptojacking so far this year, even as ransomware attacks have slowed, according to SonicWall’s 2023 Mid-Year Cyber Threat Report.

Governance, Strategy Needed in Enterprise Generative AI Adoption

The current wave of popularity for generative AI is just "scratching the surface." The real impact will be felt in enterprises — including education — which, over the next seven years, will see growth in the hundreds of billions of dollars, according to a new market analysis, "Generative AI Business Outcomes: Identifying Enterprise Commercial Opportunities."

Image is proposed logo for FCC smart device cyber trust labeling program with the words U.S. Cyber Trust Mark

FCC Proposal Would Create Voluntary Cybersecurity Label for Smart Devices

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has introduced a proposal to create a “voluntary cybersecurity labeling program” for smart devices in an effort to boost transparency and protection against cyber threats in the growing Internet of Things market.

CTL Introduces Tracking Dashboard for K–12 Districts to Keep Tabs on School-Issued Chromebooks

CTL Corp. has debuted HiddenApp for K–12 schools to keep track of loaned Chromebooks. The app integrates with the district’s Google Chrome Admin console and monitors, locates, and tracks devices through a dashboard, the company said. It does not invade privacy, but gives schools a better way to keep tabs on their Chromebook fleet.

screenshot of class action lawsuit filed July 17 against ed tech company Securly

Class-Action Lawsuit Says Securly Collected, Sold Student Location Data, Video History Without Consent

The parents of two California children are suing Securly, accusing the online-activity surveillance provider of violating California wiretapping and data privacy laws and of violating the federal Video Privacy Protection Act by collecting protected private information without consent and selling it to third-party advertisers.

Enhancing Teaching & Learning Tops Digital Transformation Goals for K–12 IT Leaders, Administrators

Among the many goals for digital transformation among IT leaders and administrators in K–12 districts, "enhancing teaching and learning" topped the list, followed by "enhancing digital literacy" and "improving the student experience."

PowerSchool to Buy SchoolMessenger, Integrate with its Cloud SIS

Cloud-based K–12 software provider PowerSchool has signed an agreement to acquire SchoolMessenger from its parent company, West Technology Group, for $300 million and plans to integrate SchoolMessenger’s features with the PowerSchool Student Information Cloud platform, according to a news release.