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Directors Update

PROMINENT TOPICS

We hope you had a wonderful summer, and found time to rest and recharge. The CNYRIC team is looking forward to an exciting 2025–26 school year! We are introducing a new liaison role to provide districts with direct support for technology planning, funding, and project coordination. This dedicated connection will help align district needs with CNYRIC resources, strengthening partnerships across the region.

Our team wishes you the best for the upcoming school year!

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP, ASSISTANCE, AND RESOURCES TO ENHANCE DISTRICTS’ DATA ECOSYSTEMS IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE PRIORITIES

Reminder: The 2025-26 data authorization form for designated trusted agents is now available for approval, and can be found within the CNYRIC Secure Portal. This is an annual approval that allows the CNYRIC to support district data (collection, storage, and transmission). To access the site, go to https://www.cnyric.org/portal, or link from the “Resources” dropdown on the CNYRIC homepage.

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP, ASSISTANCE, AND RESOURCES TO ENHANCE DISTRICTS’ SECURITY POSTURE IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE PRIORITIES

For districts utilizing the Data Privacy and Security Service, we are happy to report that the resource registry now includes approximately 2,000 Data Privacy Agreements. Additionally, the RIC One Risk Operation Center is expanding its services to help districts manage vendor-related incidents, such as vendor misconfigurations that could expose personally identifiable information.

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP, ASSISTANCE, AND RESOURCES TO ENHANCE DISTRICTS’ TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEMS IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE PRIORITIES

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center just informed us of the following: “NYS will be purchasing a statewide membership to cover every single eligible entity within the State! This purchase will still require every entity to ‘enroll’ but there will be no cost. Additionally, if you choose to not participate in the state's membership coverage, you will still have the option to purchase your own single organization membership.”

IN THIS SECTION, WE WILL PROVIDE SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN DISCUSSING TECHNOLOGY WITH YOUR DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY.

September’s focus will be on Cyber Incident Response Plans. A Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP) is a comprehensive strategy developed by your district to prepare for, detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity incidents. Its primary goals are to minimize the damage caused by such an incident, ensure business continuity, and protect sensitive data. The CNYRIC Data Privacy and Security service team has curated different resources (linked here) for developing your initial CIRP, along with specific playbooks.  

Q: In simple terms, what is our district's "game plan" if we face a cybersecurity incident?

Q: Technology changes so fast. How do we ensure our response plan isn't sitting on a shelf collecting dust?

Q: Beyond just having a written plan, how does our team practice for a real event?

Q: Outside of the technology department, what roles do different departments of the school district play in this response plan? Are there outside experts that are needed?