Mike Olsen: Cybersecurity IS School Safety

In preparation for the upcoming conference, From Education to Action: School Security Summit, Christin Kinman shares a preview from one of the speakers, Mike Olsen of 360 Security Services.

~~~

Cybersecurity IS School Safety: Why Every K-12 Leader Should Be Part of the Digital Conversation

When the School District of Philadelphia lost nearly $700,000 to a cyber fraud scheme this spring, it didn’t happen because of some sophisticated hacking tool—it happened because of a routine finance process and a convincing email. No fire alarms. No lockdown drills. But the impact? Just as disruptive.

Cybersecurity has officially crossed the line from being “just an IT thing” to a fundamental school safety issue—on par with threat assessments, mental health support, and emergency preparedness. If you’re involved in any of those areas, there’s a growing reason to get involved in cyber conversations too.

That’s why the upcoming Education to Action: School Security Summit on June 25, 2025, in Greenbelt, Maryland, is more relevant than ever. It’s a unique opportunity for K-12 professionals of all types—not just tech staff—to engage with real-world challenges and learn how cyber incidents can impact school climate, safety operations, and community trust.

One session to highlight: Digital Lockdown – A Cybersecurity Tabletop for K-12 Professionals

Led by Mike Olson, a retired Senior Special Agent from the U.S. Secret Service and CEO of 360 Security Services, with experience across both cyber and physical school threats, this 50-minute breakout isn’t your typical tech talk. It’s a non-technical, scenario-driven discussion designed for people in roles like:

Principals and district administrators
School counselors and mental health professionals
Resource officers and front office staff
Teachers and support personnel

We’ll walk through examples that blend digital disruption with human impact, like:

A Monday morning ransomware attack that stalls transportation and delays medication access for students with health plans
A sextortion scam targeting students on social media and the ripple effect across your counseling and crisis teams
A finance office mistake that results in redirected vendor payments, like what happened in Philadelphia

These are not just “tech problems.” They touch every part of a school’s operations—and every role in your building has a part to play in understanding and responding effectively.

What You’ll Gain

This session isn’t about becoming a cybersecurity expert. It’s about gaining awareness, asking the right questions, and understanding how to support a more resilient response. You’ll leave with:

A clearer sense of where cyber risk shows up in your day-to-day
New language and examples to bring back to your team or board
Practical ideas for coordinating across departments—bridging cyber, physical, and student-centered safety planning

Why It Matters Now

Too often, school safety planning happens in silos. Physical security teams prep for active threats. IT staff handle digital risk. Counselors work on prevention. But the reality is, modern school threats don’t respect those divisions.

A digital crisis can quickly become a reputational or safety crisis. A social media hoax can escalate into a police response. A phishing email can cut off payroll or access to student IEPs. We need to connect the dots—and we need to do it together.

Join us at Education to Action. The event is intentionally affordable at just $35, and sessions are structured for practical, role-based learning—not abstract theory. Register early to secure your spot in the Digital Lockdown session and join a conversation that every school team needs to be having.

Cybersecurity isn’t just IT’s job anymore. It’s a school safety issue—and it starts with awareness.

iDigHardware
Answers to your door, hardware, and code questions from Allegion's Lori Greene.

iDigHardware