Fund’s Cybersecurity Grant Awards $500,000 to Texas Schools for Cybersecurity Resources

Emerging cyber threats 

The TASB Risk Management Fund is always looking for innovative ways to prevent loss at Texas school districts and be at the forefront of emerging threats. That is why the Fund launched its first-ever $500,000 cybersecurity grant program in 2022. Over 200 members applied for the competitive award of up to $5,000 each. The Fund is pleased to announce it awarded 178 members with funding to improve their cybersecurity resilience.  

“The Texas Association of School Boards is a valuable resource to those of us in education in so many ways, and we especially appreciate the support this opportunity provides us in providing additional security to our technology systems,” said Lara Duhon of College of the Mainland, a 2022 grant winner.   

Behind the cybersecurity grant 

K-12 has suffered increasing numbers of cyberattacks year after year. Between 2018 and 2020, publicly disclosed cyberattacks against schools exploded by 235%. But implementing cyber-related security controls can be expensive, especially for schools and colleges because of limited resources.  

“The grant was designed to emphasize some critical preventative measures that address the specific types of threats that target our members. Additionally, it can provide some financial assistance to districts who couldn't otherwise afford these, often expensive, solutions,” Lucas Anderson, TASB RMF Privacy & Cyber Risk Consultant, said.   

During the cybersecurity grant application process, members could choose from a list of pre-selected products and services or enter their own initiative for consideration. The Fund encouraged applicants to focus on these best practices: 

• Compliance with state cybersecurity regulations 
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)   
• Software security patches   
• System and data backup processes  

Winners of the 2022 grant: