K12 Tech Talk

Episode 202 - Navigating Tariffs, Chrome's New AI Security, and E-Rate Threats

In this week's episode of the K12 Tech Talk podcast, the team dives into some pressing issues. We start with a discussion on how tariffs might affect project pricing for the coming year, exploring potential impacts on schools' budgets and strategies they might employ to mitigate these effects.
The conversation then shifts to Google's new Chrome security feature powered by AI. We debate the implications of this feature in terms of privacy and security, particularly in school environments, and whether or not to implement this at a district level.
The centerpiece of the episode is a concerning discussion about the potential threat to the E-Rate program. With pending litigation that could have significant impacts on funding and tech infrastructure in schools, we provide insights into how schools are preparing for potential outcomes.
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NTP
Lightspeed
ClassLink
SaferWatch
Fortinet
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Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
Call us at 314-329-0363
Join the K12TechPro Community
Buy some swag
X @k12techtalkpod
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 201 - Unveiling the Shadowy World of Breach Coaches

Join us in episode 201, as we dive into the intricate world of cybersecurity breach coaches. We start with a deep analysis of the latest cybersecurity reports from Clever and CoSN, highlighting critical vulnerabilities and the evolving landscape of K12 cybersecurity challenges.
In an exclusive interview, journalist Mark Keierleber from The 74 explores the clandestine operations of "breach coaches"—the hired guns who control the narrative and management of school cyberattacks. Keierleber sheds light on the ethical and operational conflicts schools face when deciding between transparency and self-preservation during a ransomware crisis.
00:00:00-Introduction
00:04:30-The 74: ”Hired Guns”
00:08:40-PowerSchool Breach Update
00:11:14-CoSN Cybersecurity Briefing
00:16:14-Clever’s Cyber Secure Report
00:23:48-Interview with Mark Keierleber
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ManagedMethods
VIZOR
ClassLink
SaferWatch
Fortinet
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Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
Call us at 314-329-0363
Join the K12TechPro Community
Buy some swag
X @k12techtalkpod
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 200 - Special Guests, Musical Acts, and Celebrity Drop-Ins...

The 200th episode of the K12 Tech Talk podcast was packed with special guests, laughs, and big announcements. Musician Colt Ball kicked things off with a live performance, and David Wren from NTP discussed K12TechPro's cybersecurity deals for schools. Tom Ryan shared insights on AI, while Chris Illingworth from Fortinet talked about security solutions. The K12 Tech Talk and K12TechPro team celebrated milestones, including 1,000 K12TechPro members across 50 states and nine countries. The guys did dad jokes with Josh’s son, Jackson, and an exciting giveaway from ChromebookParts—200 free toolkits and $1,000 in repairs! (Email k12techtalk@gmail.com NOW!) Tonia Haddix, known from Chimp Crazy, joined for a lively discussion on exotic animal laws. The episode wrapped up with lessons from a ransomware attack featuring Episode 31’s Denzel. Colt Ball closed us out with some tunes. It was crazy. It was great. Thank you all for listening and supporting us over these 200 episodes. We are K12 Tech Talk—and so are you.
THAT'S RIGHT! ChromebookParts is giving a free tool kit for every episode we have done! That's 200 tool kits to the first 200 listeners to reach out to us via k12techtalk@gmail.com. SUBJECT LINE: FREE TOOL KIT. CONTENT: YOUR NAME AND SHIPPING ADDRESS. 
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! One of those lucky 200 people will receive $1000 in free repair services for their school district too!
NTP
Lightspeed
ClassLink
SaferWatch
Fortinet
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00:00:00-Intro
00:00:25-Colt Ball performs our intro live!
00:07:11-David Wren (NTP)
00:16:45-Tom Ryan
00:26:15-Josh's Kid!
00:30:56-Chris Illingworth (Fortinet)
00:36:32-K12 Tech Pro crew
00:42:50-Josh goes Chimp Crazy!
00:55:45-"Denzel"
01:01:06-Outro with Colt Ball
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Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
Call us at 314-329-0363
Join the K12TechPro Community
Buy some swag
X @k12techtalkpod
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 199 - It's a Disaster

We did this episode for about 45 minutes and realized we didn't hit record. It happens. This is a redo. It's a disaster. Really. Next week is a SPECIAL episode as we hit 200. Get ready for that. We promise next week will be better. In the meanwhile, we discuss:
Who pays for Chromebook repairs?
What will chip tariffs do to 25-26 purchases?
Cybersquaters! Origin stories!
FCC Cybersecurity Pilot Info
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00:00:00-Intro
00:03:58-Tariffs??
00:11:21-Forti-updates
00:13:33-Domain Squatting
00:18:30-How did you get started in K-12 technology?
00:29:30-Episode 200 is coming!
VIZOR
SaferWatch
ManagedMethods
ClassLink
Fortinet
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Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
Call us at 314-329-0363
Join the K12TechPro Community
Buy some swag
X @k12techtalkpod
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 198 - Top 10 Changes to K12 Cyber Security We'd Like to See

In this lively episode of the K12 Tech Talk Podcast, a significant portion of the discussion focuses on recent updates regarding the PowerSchool data breach. The hosts shed light on the critical changes necessary for enhancing cybersecurity in school districts, including expanding MFA, moving away from outdated FTP to modern solutions, and embracing a culture of data reduction. They stress the importance of improving school district and vendor practices to mitigate security risks.
00:00:02-Intro
00:04:36-Chris' Disney Adventure
00:09:03-AI Prompt Security Risks
00:11:03-PowerSchool Breach Update
00:16:31-K12TechPro & 200th Episode
00:24:30-Top 10 K12 Cybersecurity Recommendations
00:57:12-Upcoming Events
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NTP
Lightspeed
CTL
ClassLink
Fortinet
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We're presenting 2 sessions at SecurED Virtual Conference on Jan. 28th
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Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
Call us at 314-329-0363
Join the K12TechPro Community
Buy some swag
X @k12techtalkpod
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
 

Episode 197 - Updates on PowerSchool and Notification Requirements

In this episode of the K12 Tech Talk Podcast, the team dives into the recent PowerSchool breach. Mark, who was recently featured on Canadian national news (Eh!), shares updates and insights into the breach's technical aspects, along with a breakdown on an article he published on K12TechPro.
The discussion also highlights the roles and responsibilities of K12 tech leaders in managing data breaches and emphasizes the importance of transparency and communication with parents, staff, and state agencies. The team talks through the ethical considerations and the potential implications on data privacy agreements and industry standards like SOC 2 and ISO certifications.
The episode also discusses the unusual breach by a furry hacker targeting Scholastic, the potential policy priorities of Linda McMahon at the Department of Education, and an update on AI deepfake incidents affecting educators.
00:00-Intro & PowerSchool Update
06:30-What is the impact?
12:59-The Bigger Picture
17:40-Scholastic Breach Discussion
20:27-Political Landscape Changes
26:23-Curriculum Transparency
28:51-Legal Implications of Deepfakes
41:53-Obligations After a Breach
42:57-Final Thoughts on Data Privacy
 
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VIZOR
ManagedMethods
Lumu
ClassLink
Fortinet
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Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
Call us at 314-329-0363
Join the K12TechPro Community
Buy some swag
X @k12techtalkpod
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

Episode 196 - Sharing Passwords? You're Fired!

In this episode, we explore humorous/serious use of AI joke writing (PowerSchool jokes), we have a discussion on cell phone bans being implemented across various school districts this new year, touching on one policy that involves fines.
The main focus, however, is a captivating story where a teacher was terminated for allegedly sharing her password, leading to students tampering with electronic records and facing charges. We tackle tough questions about accountability: Should a teacher lose their job for password sharing? Are students facing reasonable repercussions? Who bears the blame in cases of security breaches like this? We discuss the essential measures for cybersecurity in schools, emphasizing the necessity of multi-layered security approaches.
https://www.al.com/news/2025/01/alabama-could-soon-fine-students-who-repeatedly-violate-classroom-cell-phone-restrictions.html
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-11-13/lausd-strict-school-cellphone-ban-to-begin
https://www.koin.com/news/portland/pps-bans-cell-phones-adopts-off-and-away-all-day-policy/
https://www.wistv.com/2025/01/07/cell-phone-ban-begins-south-carolina-schools/
https://www.comparitech.com/news/ransomware-roundup-2024-end-of-year-report/#The_top_5_biggest_ransom_demands_in_2024
https://www.yahoo.com/news/liverpool-high-school-staff-member-215453485.html
00:00-Introduction04:53-Cell Phone Bans!18:36-2024 State of Ransomware23:05-Teacher fired for sharing her password38:29-Reducing the risk of shared passwords46:39-Closing and more AI jokes
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NTP
Lightspeed
Lumu
ClassLink
Fortinet
--------------------
Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com
OR info@k12techtalkpodcast.com
Call us at 314-329-0363
Join the K12TechPro Community
Buy some swag
X @k12techtalkpod
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.

PowerSchool Cybersecurity Breach: What You Need to Know

This special episode of the K12 Tech Talk Podcast dissects the recent cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, a major provider of Student Information Systems (SIS) in the United States. Hosts Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the details of the breach that saw PowerSchool send notifications to its customers about the possibility of sensitive data exposure.
We discuss the details of the breach that have been released by PowerSchool and discussed by customers on K12TechPro and Reddit (/k12sysadmin) within the first 24 hours.
 
00:00-Introduction
01:04-What happened?
04:10-Who is PowerSchool?
7:30-Data Exfiltration
11:48-How the attack happened
18:54-The attackers were paid to destroy the data
22:41-What should districts do right now?
 
For more information, check out K12TechPro where you can find a special section on the PowerSchool breach with resources you need, including sample letters to families, instructions to download your system logs, and relevant news articles.
https://community.k12techpro.com
Questions, comments? Reach out to us! info@k12techtalk.com