About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of AI on cybersecurity in K-12 education, featuring insights from experts and district leaders.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the cybersecurity landscape in K–12 education—and district leaders are now navigating a reality where opportunity and risk are accelerating at the same time. In this episode, we break down key insights from the CoSN webinar featuring Michael Klein , Senior Director for Preparedness and Response at the Institute for Security and Technology and former Senior Advisor for Cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Education. You’ll also hear perspectives from district technology leaders Chris Bailey and Chris Rowbotham , who share how these challenges are playing out in real school systems today. This conversation explores how AI is transforming both cyber threats and defensive strategies—and what district leaders should be doing right now to stay ahead. Key Takeaways AI is accelerating cyber threats Attackers are using AI to scale phishing, automate attacks, and lower the barrier to entry for cybercrime. Cybersecurity is now a leadership issue—not just IT Communication, trust, and decision-making are just as critical as technical defenses. Third-party vendor risk is one of the biggest vulnerabilities Districts rely on a small number of…

People in this episode

Guests: Michael Klein, Chris Bailey, Chris Rowbotham

Topics covered

• AI in cybersecurity
• K-12 education
• district leadership
• cyber threats
• vendor risk
• AI tools in schools

Keywords

• artificial intelligence
• cybersecurity
• K-12 education
• phishing
• third-party vendor risk
• data protection
• cybercrime

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Institute for Security and Technology, U.S. Department of Education

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• Driving K–12 Innovation 2026: Tech Enablers (Part 3 of 3) · April 21, 2026 · 11 min
• Driving K-12 Innovation 2026: Accelerators (Part 2 of 3) · April 15, 2026 · 20 min
• Driving K-12 Innovation 2026: Hurdles (Part 1 of 3) · April 7, 2026 · 10 min
• Quick Wins: Cybersecurity Scalable Solutions That Work · March 24, 2026 · 8 min
• The CoSN Webinar Series: CETL® Basics · March 19, 2026 · 28 min
• Developing AI Innovation Through the Stages of Adoption · March 17, 2026 · 9 min

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