{"id":528,"date":"2022-12-23T12:50:13","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T18:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/?p=528"},"modified":"2024-12-26T09:18:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T15:18:18","slug":"6-essential-it-solutions-for-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/blog\/6-essential-it-solutions-for-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Smart IT Solutions Schools Can Implement and Why"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Schools are one of the top industries for cyberattacks, underscoring the critical need for essential it solutions for schools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because they handle confidential files, deal with sensitive personal identifiable information (PII) and even process payments, schools can be a huge target without proper IT protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/k12cybersecure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/StateofK12Cybersecurity-2020.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, 2020 marked a record-breaking year for cyberattacks against schools. This could be because of the increased dependency on virtual learning, which has left many vulnerabilities and loopholes for malicious activity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And schools remain at risk for other reasons: a lack of training and awareness, weaknesses in network security and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><b>[Related: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-kirkland-redmond\/mobile-device-security-checklist-for-construction-companies\/\"><b>Mobile Device Security Checklist for Construction Companies<\/b><\/a><b>]<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>IT Essentials solutions and priorities for schools<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To protect your students, teachers and staff, consider adopting the following essential <a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/it-services\/\">IT solutions<\/a> for schools.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Use the Best Tech Tools<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In recent years, schools have had to navigate new hybrid and collaborative learning environments. In turn, that means they\u2019ve also had to embrace educational technology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Smart classroom tools, integral to modern educational institutions, are becoming more prevalent as institutions strive to optimize student learning experiences. In fact, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketsandmarkets.com\/PressReleases\/educational-technology-ed-tech.asp\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">analysts expect<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> the global education market to grow to $233 billion by 2027.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider adding the following tools to create your smart classroom:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Document cameras<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Smart boards\/smart tables<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cloud-based communication systems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tablets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Online textbooks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Audio enhancements<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_631\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-631\" class=\"wp-image-631 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-alena-darmel-7743260-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"two students using interactive board\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-alena-darmel-7743260-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-alena-darmel-7743260-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-alena-darmel-7743260-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-alena-darmel-7743260-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-alena-darmel-7743260-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-alena-darmel-7743260-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-631\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/two-students-using-an-interactive-board-7743260\/\">Pexels<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>By integrating these IT solutions, educational institutions can effectively bolster their it infrastructure while promoting enriched student learning experiences.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Secure Your Networks<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You should secure any Wi-Fi networks your school uses to mitigate potential threats to both it services and confidential data. Securing your network is a vital component of comprehensive it solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free, unprotected Wi-Fi can give hackers easy access and allow them to breach confidential networks. So if you offer (or plan to offer) public Wi-Fi for guests at your facilities, make sure it\u2019s separate from the network your students and staff use.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Ensure Auto-Updates of Antivirus and Anti-Malware Software<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ignoring software updates can be one of the biggest cybersecurity mistakes a school can make, highlighting the importance of essential IT solutions for schools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cybercriminals\u2019 methods evolve constantly, so it\u2019s important to maintain the latest security patches. You can do so by enabling automatic updates or partnering with a managed IT service provider. Failing to keep your antivirus and anti-malware programs updated can result in disastrous security breaches.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><b>[Related: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-kirkland-redmond\/?p=5684\"><b>Cybersecurity Checklist for the Hotel Industry<\/b><\/a><b>]<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Offer Tech Security Training<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To ensure all students, teachers and staff are prepared in the event of cyberattacks or suspicious online activity, offer security classes as part of your comprehensive IT solutions. Provide thorough hands-on training for teachers and staff so that they can pass their knowledge to students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make sure everyone is comfortable with the major elements of your school\u2019s technology plan and devices. Additionally, train them about best IT security practices and tell them what to do if they spot suspicious activity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students should feel comfortable going to their teachers for answers to any IT or security questions. They should also know the correct process for submitting IT tickets or reporting malicious activity \u2014 real or suspected.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Encourage Proper Email Security Practices<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-kirkland-redmond\/?p=5681\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Email<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is one of the biggest targets for cybercriminals, so it\u2019s crucial to ensure everyone using your school\u2019s email servers follows the right guidelines, emphasizing the necessity of essential IT solutions for schools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Protect your school\u2019s, students\u2019 and staff\u2019s security via multiple tactics:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using strong passwords<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Employing multi-factor authentication when logging in<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoiding opening suspicious attachments or clicking unknown links<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Knowing how to spot phishing scams<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><b>[Related: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-kirkland-redmond\/phishing-vs-spoofing-attacks-similarities-differences-and-how-to-prevent-them\/\"><b>Phishing vs. Spoofing Attacks: Similarities, Differences and How to Prevent Them<\/b><\/a><b>]<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_632\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-632\" class=\"wp-image-632 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-pixabay-159213-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Tables and desks of school auditorium \" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-pixabay-159213-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-pixabay-159213-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-pixabay-159213-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-pixabay-159213-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-pixabay-159213-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/12\/pexels-pixabay-159213-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-632\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/white-wooden-rectangular-table-159213\/\">Pexels<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Partner With a Managed IT Professional Like CMIT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you work at a school, your priority should be leading the way for your students\u2019 education \u2014 not worrying about IT issues and cybersecurity mishaps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-kirkland-redmond\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CMIT Solutions of Bellevue<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, we specialize in providing <a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/it-services\/managed-services\/\">managed IT services<\/a> or essential IT solutions for schools and a variety of industries, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-kirkland-redmond\/industries\/education\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">education<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (both private and public institutions). We\u2019ll help you balance your staff\u2019s and students\u2019 needs so that you can access information for lessons and activities while keeping confidential information private.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CMIT Solutions can manage Chromebooks, tablets, servers and networks to improve your institution\u2019s data protection and security methods in this ever-evolving, tech-dependent world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Focus on your students and staff while we help you handle the critical IT details:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Protecting students\u2019 private data<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Advancing learning with video conferencing, electronic blackboards and VoIP<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Defending your network perimeter and prohibiting inappropriate web browsing with strong heuristic DNS filtering<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Empowering your staff with 24\/7 help desk support<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-kirkland-redmond\/contact-us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Contact us today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and let CMIT Solutions help you focus on what matters most \u2014 your school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Featured image via <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/b4dNhklLF7I\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unsplash<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Schools can be a huge target without proper IT protection. To protect your students, teachers and staff, adopt the following essential IT solutions for schools.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-it"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=528"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/bellevue-wa-1140\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}