Echoes of rushed, risky pandemic projects continue to plague the Canadian public education sector

Toronto, Canada, September 23, 2024 – As the pandemic threatened to paralyze the Canadian public education sector, government and corporate contributions poured in, from new tech funding to innovative educational technology, enabling distance education, remote invigilation and cloud-based learning. Unfortunately, this exposed the educational sector and its supply chains to diverse new threats including cyber extortion, advanced malware and third-party risks with financial impacts ranging from $50,000 into the millions of dollars.

To directly address the threats posed by such high velocity projects, where adoption and implementation timeframes were compressed at the expense of due diligence, risk assessment and cybersecurity best practices, Datarisk introduces EdtechSecurity.ca, a dedicated gateway for the education ecosystem.

As Canada’s leader in cybersecurity strategy and advisory, Datarisk’s Public Education Grant Cybersecurity Effectiveness Program (PEG-CE) is now available to industry participants interested in establishing the efficacy and success of grant programs, particularly as they pertain to the adoption of new processes, educational technologies and use of grant funding for technology projects.

“Canadian educational institutions, boards and suppliers usually maximize their financial gain from such programs, but no one necessarily audits how they secure the data that goes online or the privacy of the devices they adopt. Datarisk is the sole supplier of such effectiveness audits across the country. Interested parties can take advantage of PEG-CE for as little as a free consultation” – said Claudiu Popa, president of Datarisk Canada and a seasoned professional with two decades of experience in educational technology risk, advisory and auditing.

The PEG-CE Risk Assessment Report provides vendors serving the public education sector, government agencies and municipal organizations with a detailed report on vulnerabilities related to:

1. Increased Cyber Threats: Schools may become more attractive targets for hackers, especially if they adopt high-profile technology platforms, increasing the risk of ransomware or data breaches.
2. Data Privacy Concerns: Implementing new technologies, especially cloud-based solutions, could expose sensitive student data to third-party vendors, increasing compliance risks with privacy regulations like PIPEDA.
3. Reliance on Vendors: Dependence on external providers for cybersecurity may result in vulnerabilities if the vendor’s systems are compromised.
4. Insufficient Training: Despite program participation, gaps in cybersecurity training or outdated practices can leave staff and students unprepared for evolving threats.
5. Implementation Costs and Management: Managing and maintaining these new technologies may strain already limited IT resources and budgets within educational