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Now in its third year, the CDW-G School Safety Index provides a nationwide, firsthand view of school safety issues from the perspective of district IT and security directors. Additionally, the index enables schools to measure themselves against a national benchmark. CDW-G expanded the survey to understand the steps districts are taking to strengthen security, protect wireless networks, and monitor buildings.
Based on a national survey of more than 400 K-12 district IT and security directors, the index measures 10 indicators and four contraindicators to set a national benchmark to gauge the current state of school security.
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CDW-G surveyed 408 K-12 district IT and security directors to:
- Evaluate districts' cyber and physical security
- Assess current cyber and physical security measures
- Understand the proliferation of security breaches
- Understand the impact of cyber and physical education and communication
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Based on online survey research, the CDW-G School Safety Index's 10 positive indicators and 4 contraindicators represent the elements of an overall security program. The CDW-G School Safety Index sets a national benchmark to gauge the current status of school safety and outlines steps for improvement. Additionally, the index aims to focus attention on the convergence of IT and physical security in public school districts.
- Cyber Security Indicators
- Self-Assessment
- District Cooperation
- Strengthening Security
- Security Updates
- Wireless Security
- AUP
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- Physical Security Indicators
- Self-Assessment
- Strengthening Security
- Campus Monitoring
- Mass Notification
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- Contraindicators
- Physical Breaches
- Physical Barriers
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Taken together, the Cyber Safety Index and the Physical Safety Index comprise the School Safety Index.
In 2009, K-12 districts scores fell, in line with continued threats and budget and staffing challenges.
The 2009 National Cyber Safety Average was 22.2; the Physical Safety Average was 32.2.*
The results point to a need for increased focus on both cyber and physical security in K-12 districts.
- K-12 districts' scores fell in the 2009 School Safety Index
Continued threats, such as breaches and lack of end-user compliance, coupled with budget and staffing challenges make progress difficult
- Schools are taking positive steps to improve security
- The majority of districts (87%) report that the IT and physical security departments are collaborating
- 88% of respondents say their district has a wireless network; of these, 92% use encryption to secure the network
- 70% of districts report using a mass notification system to improve emergency communication
- But security perceptions do not align with reality
While K-12 districts report an increase in physical and cyber breaches in the last year vs. previous years, most still say their schools are safe. By their own self-assessment:
- Just 22% of respondents indicated that their cyber security needs improvement
- Just 24% of respondents indicated that their physical security needs improvement
- Budget is the top impediment to improving security
Despite increased threats and breaches:
- Just 34% of districts plan to make a case for increased investment in these areas
- Less than a quarter (20%) say they seek best practices from other districts
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- CDW-G conducted an online survey of district IT and security personnel in March and April 2009
- A total of 408 IT and security personnel from a variety of K-12 public school districts - from urban to rural - completed the survey
- The sample size equates to a +/- 4.80% margin of error at a 95% confidence level
- Calculating the CDW-G School Safety Index:
- Each positive indicator question is based on a value of 10
- Each contraindicator question is based on a value of -10
- Using the data from the national survey, the percentages were divided by 10, resulting in a numeric value
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