Students are getting more proficient with technology every day. Cyber bullying is becoming more common, and now there are numerous new ways to circumvent controls. Viruses, malware, and ransomware predators create a big challenge for IT departments. Protecting a student’s identity and providing a safe K-12 environment are constantly becoming more challenging.

Websites have been moving to secure browsing. Many sites that used to be HTTP are now HTTPS. This change adds additional complexity to see the detail of what users are doing. Students will use this to their advantage to get around filtering.

The next challenge is that many districts maintain multiple platforms such as Windows, Apple IOS, Google Chrome, and Apple Mac. Getting all the platforms integrated securely adds additional complexity.  Furthermore, adding a learning management system complicates things even more.

The good news is that there are advanced solutions to help your tech team manage these problems. It can be a full time job to understand what solution will solve each problem, how they work together whether or not they overlap. Many vendors promise solutions that solve all of your problems, but navigating that can be a challenge.

Usually only districts with big IT teams have the resources to keep up with these escalating issues. Illinois school funding has not been helping the cause. Smaller districts are faced with additional challenges trying to keep up.  Hiring a team with proven solutions to solve these problems is the easiest way to overcome these challenges.

When hiring a company to fill this role, look for a flat fee for all-inclusive support that includes addressing these issues. Include the goals in your contract and leverage their expertise. If you find the right partner, they will work with your staff proactively to stay ahead of any challenges. Your staff will have more time with this approach and they will pay for themselves quickly.