Hackers out to steal digital information are becoming more sophisticated, but so are the people tasked with warding off cybercrime, said Ryan Axman, IT director at Great Bend USD 428.

This week, Axman gave a brief overview of the measures taken to support secure network systems, processes, and procedures to protect information technology throughout the district. He didn’t want to reveal too much information at a public meeting, he said when making his presentation to the school board on Wednesday.

Great Bend USD 428 has a lot of data, including private information, stored digitally. Hackers constantly attempt to gain access to information for the purpose of identity theft or to encrypt data and hold it for ransom.

The school district has insurance for loss due to cybercrime and the insurance companies are helpful in pointing out ways to improve security. District employees have received interactive coaching from a company called KnowBe4. The KnowBe4 training, as the name implies, teaches people how to recognize things they shouldn’t click on in an email or webpage.

The district now uses two-factor authentication as an additional layer of security. Users must enter a password and then type in a security code sent to the mobile device listed on the account.

When a school district or business is hit by ransomware, the target’s data is encrypted and cannot be retrieved. Paying a ransom may be the most cost-effective way to get the data back. However, that isn’t always necessary.

“Four or five years ago we were hit with ransomware,” Axman said. Rather than paying the ransom, he said district employees were able to delete 50,000 infected files, isolate the problem, restore the files from a safe backup, and get them up and running again in about three hours.

But as businesses become more sophisticated, so do hackers. Today, a hacker would attempt to let the ransomware spread until backups are also encrypted.

Axman said the district’s insurance company was helpful in this regard, suggesting and in fact requiring certain training and other measures.

Great Bend USD 428 was also one of the first school districts in Kansas to volunteer for a cybersecurity audit.

The measures prescribed as a result of the audit and insurance requirements ranged from “over and done” to more involved steps, Axman said. “Some have taken months to implement.” 

Superintendent Khris Thexton said USD 428 was only the third district in Kansas to go through the audit. He described it as time-consuming but worthwhile.

“You’re never 100% safe (from hackers) but I sure feel 100% safer than we were a year ago,” Thexton said. He noted that cyber attacks have residual effects that usually take a year or longer to clear up.

Contributions approved

Axman’s representation was part of a school board meeting held April 26 at Riley Elementary School.

The school board also approved the following contributions:

• $1,288.72 from the Eisenhower PTO for playground equipment

• $500 from the Panther Booster Club to the GBHS Activities Department for the State Wrestling Ad

• $200 from Pick Chiropractic to the GBHS Activities Department for GBHS baseball athlete meals

• $100 from Marmie Motors Inc. to the sixth-grade band and orchestra program for student T-shirts