Episode 263 covers the unfolding Instructure/Canvas breach by the threat group ShinyHunters. Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the timeline, the potential scope of compromised data, and immediate steps schools should take.
The episode also examines a new bill aimed at restricting AI companion chatbots for minors and debates age verification and safety concerns. Finally, the guys review a National Bureau of Economic Research study on lockable cell phone pouches, weighing the limited academic impacts found after one year against observed cultural benefits in schools.
Finally, Chris interviews Dave Barclay, Director of Product with Deledao!
https://www.k12dive.com/news/proposal-to-ban-ai-companions-for-minors-advances-in-senate/819239/
————
Sponsored by:
Deledao
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
SysCloud
Meter
Fortinet
VIZOR
Lightspeed
Extreme Networks
Managed Methods
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.

On Episode 262, Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the risks of edtech tools that add generative AI without age checks or strong guardrails, share a new K12 SIX resource and rubric for security essentials, and cover email security best practices.
For the main topic, the guys talk about "secure email." Districts are being asked to send more sensitive information outside the network - to parents, agencies, vendors - but there's no shared standard for what "secure email" even means in K12. TLS encryption in transit isn't the same as end-to-end encryption. A password-protected PDF isn't a secure channel. And most staff don't know the difference.
————
Sponsored by:
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
SysCloud
Fortinet
Extreme Networks
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.

In episode 261 of K12 Tech Talk, the hosts are back from CoSN Chicago and revisit the P3 breach story that has been ongoing for the last few weeks. The latest reports show the stolen records have now been listed for sale, while the company has not issued a full public disclosure.
On the screen time front, the hosts review LAUSD’s draft approach that emphasizes guidelines over hard time caps, reductions in K–1 screen use, changes to device programs for grades 2–5, and limits on student-led YouTube use.
The episode closes with a deep dive into K-12 IT careers: why pay and titles vary widely, how to grow from help desk roles to director or CTO positions, and practical tips - gain hands-on experience, earn relevant certifications, build communication skills and networks, be patient, and be intentional about career moves.
————
Sponsored by:
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
Incident IQ
FortinetClassLink
Lightspeed
NTP
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.

Live from CoSN 2026 in Chicago, this episode brings quick conversations with leaders across K12. Guests include:
Earl Franks, NAESP
Jean-Claude Brizard, Digital Promise Global
CTL (Jason and Michelle)
Dr. Kari Murphy, Deer Park
Joey Wender, SHLB
Amanda Lanicek ("Amanda from LinkedIn")
Joan Wade, AESA
Jim Rowan, ASBO
Stacy Hawthorne, CoSN Chair
David Wren, NTP
School leadership, funding concerns, AI, building coordinated systems, sustainable device lifecycle, cybersecurity, data privacy, screen time policies, and more are discussed!
————
Sponsored by:
 
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
Fortinet
Managed Methods
VIZOR
NTP
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.

The guys discuss the rising AI-driven security risks facing school districts, including convincing deepfake video and voice scams, advanced phishing, and the implications of new AI research such as Anthropic’s Mythos and Project Glasswing.
They cover recent news items that affect K12 cybersecurity: proposed federal budget cuts that shift CISA and school safety responsibilities to states, the growth of non-classroom education jobs including IT roles, and the industry response to potentially dangerous AI models.
 
————
Sponsored by:
 
PowerGistics:
How K-12 Charging Models Impact Chromebook Sustainability
Textbooks Didn’t have Cables
Bring Chromebooks Back to the Classroom, but NOT Carts!
One-Person Tech Department Success Story
Incident IQ
FortinetClassLink
Lightspeed
NTP
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.

Josh, Chris, and Mark debrief last week’s Infinite Campus interview, explaining new findings about the leaked support data - what was in the release, how directory-level information and PII were involved, and what districts can do to check and respond. They discuss vendor ticket practices, district ticket practices, minimizing data in support requests, and how districts should approach vendor privacy agreements going forward.
The episode also covers recent news - the Navigate360 tip‑line breach, the White House AI legislative recommendations related to students, the Google/Meta social media liability case, and Waymo’s repeated failures to stop for school buses in Texas.
Finally, Chris interviews Brian Edwards from Swank. They discuss Swank's movie licensing and classroom streaming solution.
Judge grabs internet's attention after confrontation with IT technician 
————
Sponsored by:
 
PowerGistics:
Charging Station Solution Matrix
Take Home Model Solution Matrix
Charging Station Goals
                *Needs Assessment Survey Example for Students
                *Needs Assessment Survey Example for Teachers
                *Goal Resource for IT/Administrators
VIZOR
FortinetChromebookparts.comManaged Methods
 
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.

On this episode of the K12 Tech Talk podcast, Josh, Chris, and Mark interview Charlie Kratsch, CEO of Infinite Campus, about a confirmed cyber incident involving the company’s Salesforce instance. Charlie explains how attackers used a fast, professional vishing campaign and an imposter login domain to harvest credentials and bypass MFA, and then ran targeted reports through Salesforce. The data accessed was limited to support and customer‑directory information from the ticketing system, not the Infinite Campus student databases. Infinite Campus shut down access, audited the exports, engaged outside forensics and the FBI, and refused to engage with ransom demands. The episode outlines takeaways for districts: review support ticket content and third‑party connections, enforce MFA and stronger access controls, and limit plain text PII in tickets. Infinite Campus is contacting affected customers directly and completing a third‑party validation before issuing a final all‑clear.
————
Sponsored by:
Meter - meter.com/k12techtalkVisit meter.com/k12techtalk to book a demo!
 
Eaton -
Indulge yourselves in this chocolate-inspired infographic from Eaton to discover “a flavor” of cloud-based battery backup for every location, including K-12 education, with their cloud-connected UPS line. Reliable power backup has never been so sweet – with 16 cloud-connected UPS models for various workloads and budgets, always free monitoring software for an unlimited number of devices, NFC tap-to-configure setup and controllable outlets (13 models) – now you can finally enjoy your Saturdays in peace without the looming fear of a 3 am wakeup call to reboot a UPS. Learn more about the cloud UPS in Eaton’s Uptime Sampler Box infographic. 
VIZOR
NTPFortinetChromebookparts.comManaged Methods
 
————
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.

On this episode, the guys discuss how students are using AI and how districts are responding with pilots, policy lessons, and content controls. They share real pilot data showing most AI chats were educational, while a smaller portion involved attempts at academic dishonesty or flagged content.
The conversation also explores the controversial use of AI chatbots for mental‑health support. Josh, Chris, and Mark share personal experiences and the challenges of balancing safety and usefulness.
The main segment summarizes four major federal proposals affecting student safety and tech: Sammy’s Law (third‑party child safety monitoring), COPPA updates raising the age protections and ad limits, the App Store Accountability Act (age verification and parental consent), and the broad but divisive Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act. 
Articles discussed this episode:Securey shows how students are using AI
Should teens be confiding in AI for mental health?
Clever’s 2026 Cyber Secure Report
————
Sponsored by:
Meter - meter.com/k12techtalkVisit meter.com/k12techtalk to book a demo!
 
Eaton -
Let’s face it; you’ve probably seen plenty of server rooms that keep you up at night. From messy, tangled cabling and untraceable connections to improperly installed equipment and poor ventilation, it can truly be the thing of nightmares. A site assessment conducted by a qualified Eaton expert allows education customers to help with your own server refresh to gain a comprehensive understanding of their operations and make informed decisions to optimize performance, increase reliability and enhance safety. See how Eaton can help make your server room more efficient with their server room refresh before and after and with insights provided by Eaton site assessments, schools can unlock their full potential and create life-long learners. Request a free site assessment here.
 
Incident IQ
Extreme Networks
Fortinet
Lightspeed Systems
————Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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.