CI Security, a cybersecurity services provider, and education and public sector IT solutions firm Ednetics are working together to deliver managed detection and response (MDR) services to schools.
The CI Security-Ednetics partnership allows schools to leverage MDR services to protect their network infrastructure, the companies said. It enables schools to purchase MDR services via a streamlined procurement process, as well as ensures nearly 730,000 students across more than 1,500 schools are protected against cyber threats.
CI Security offers cybersecurity services to financial services, healthcare and public sector organizations. In addition to MDR services, CI Security delivers continuous vulnerability identification and information security consulting.
Meanwhile, Ednetics has provided integrated network solutions to schools and government organizations for more than 20 years. Ednetics delivers access control, intrusion detection and other security services, along with compute, network and voice offerings.
US Education Industry Ranks Last for Cybersecurity
The CI Security-Ednetics partnership enables both companies to support schools that often lag in terms of cybersecurity, which is reflected in a recent report from security ratings company SecurityScorecard.
SecurityScorecard's "2018 Education Cybersecurity Report" revealed the U.S. education industry ranked last for cybersecurity among 17 sectors. It also showed schools performed poorly in the following areas:
- Application Security.
- Network Security.
- Patching Cadence.
Schools require security plans to address cyber threats, SecurityScorecard co-founder Sam Kassoumeh stated. With these plans in place, schools can determine the best ways to protect student data and gain visibility into cyber risks across their systems.
