By Quinn O’Hara

Since the last school year, USD 379 has used a program called KnowBe4 to keep their staff trained up and protected against cybersecurity threats from phishing emails.

Ben Last, the Director of Technology for USD 379, talks of the biggest vulnerability to cybersecurity:

Last tells how the program works:

Last says that if a staff member were to click the link, the district is notified, and the staff member is then required to watch a short  training video on how to spot the harmful emails.

The district initially sent the emails once a month, but have been able to extend the trial period thanks to a sharp decrease in clicks:

Every staff member, including teachers, paraeducators, secretaries, and principals, will receive an email at a random time within the three month span to better simulate the randomness of genuine phishing emails. The current campaign has sent emails to 35% of USD 379 staff.