K12 Tech Talk

A K12TechPro Podcast. This podcast is about trending K12 technology topics and issues. Josh, Chris, and Mark have real conversations, real arguments, and real banter on IT issues and trends in K12 Schools. Current and Past Sponsors: Absolute, HPE Aruba Networking, Blocksi, Chromebookparts.com, ClassLink, CTL, Eaton, Extreme Networks, Fortinet, Howard Technology Solutions, iDoc, Infoblox, INVZBL, Jupiter Education, K12TechPro, Luma Technologies, Managed Methods, MidwestTechTalk, NTP, Papercut, Provision Data Solutions, Pondurance, PowerGistics, Prey, Rise Vision, Ruckus/Commscope, SaferWatch, Scale Computing, SHI, StatusGator, SomethingCool.com, Tripp Lite, Verkada, VIZOR
Episodes
Episodes



Thursday Jan 30, 2025
Episode 199 - It's a Disaster
Thursday Jan 30, 2025
Thursday Jan 30, 2025
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 [email protected]
OR [email protected]
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.



Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Episode 198 - Top 10 Changes to K12 Cyber Security We'd Like to See
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
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 [email protected]
OR [email protected]
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.



Thursday Jan 16, 2025
Episode 197 - Updates on PowerSchool and Notification Requirements
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
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
--------------------
Email us at [email protected]
OR [email protected]
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.



Thursday Jan 09, 2025
Episode 196 - Sharing Passwords? You're Fired!
Thursday Jan 09, 2025
Thursday Jan 09, 2025
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
--------------------
NTP
Lightspeed
Lumu
ClassLink
Fortinet
--------------------
Email us at [email protected]
OR [email protected]
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.



Wednesday Jan 08, 2025
PowerSchool Cybersecurity Breach: What You Need to Know
Wednesday Jan 08, 2025
Wednesday Jan 08, 2025
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! [email protected]



Tuesday Dec 31, 2024
A Ransomware Interview with Denzel (Episode 31 Re-release)
Tuesday Dec 31, 2024
Tuesday Dec 31, 2024
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year from Josh, Chris, and Mark!
This is a re-release of Episode 31. It is an interview with Denzel. Denzel is the Tech Director at a school that was hit with ransomware. He shares details of the attack, from waking up and realizing over his morning coffee that they had major issues, to the day he realized the "bad guys" posted data they harvested online. His story drives home a few major points including the one we all know... the best prepared department can fall victim.



Thursday Dec 19, 2024
Episode 195 - Chimp Crazy, 2024 Recap, & 2025 Predictions
Thursday Dec 19, 2024
Thursday Dec 19, 2024
On this episode of the K12 Tech Talk podcast, we talk about AI misuse in schools, we recap 2024's hot topics, and we spend time discussing our predictions for 2025. Oh, and we talk about Chimp Crazy and Mark's recent interactions with Tonia Haddix on TikTok. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - We're ready for break!
https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/guidance-mobile-communications-best-practices.pdf
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/10/character-ai-lawsuit-teen-kill-parents-texas/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepfake-pornography-victim-congress/
https://www.kjzz.org/education/2024-12-18/new-arizona-charter-school-will-use-ai-in-place-of-human-teachers
--------------------
Extreme Networks - Email [email protected]
Fortinet - Email [email protected]
HPE/Aruba - Email [email protected]
NTP
--------------------
Email us at [email protected]
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.



Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Episode 194 - How to Move from Lawless to Lawful Asset Management
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
This week we take a listener email and dive into managing district assets and how to wrangle the budget. Should schools supply headphones to all students? Should the tech dept have a headphones budget? Should parents pay for broken headphones? Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the tech dept's responsibility with headphones (and other consumables) at length. The guys also talk about software purchases. Should we have a candy man mentality? Plus, the latest on E-Rate funding, school cyber risks, and student cell phone policies. Also, Chris talks about pizza math. Josh talks about his arm pits.
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/billions-of-school-tech-dollars-at-risk-as-supreme-court-takes-up-e-rate-case/2024/11
https://statescoop.com/rhode-island-schools-malicious-domain-protection-service/
https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-calls-states-districts-and-schools-adopt-policies-student-use-of-cell-phones-and-personal-devices
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/4-things-to-know-about-the-literacy-lawsuit-targeting-lucy-calkins-and-fountas-pinnell/2024/12#:~:text=The%20lawsuit%20claims%20the%20curricula,guess%E2%80%9D%20words%20based%20on%20context%2C
https://www.k12dive.com/news/moodys-rates-education-sector-high-cyber-risk-2024/733342/
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VIZOR
Extreme Networks - Email [email protected]
Verkada
Fortinet - Email [email protected]
HPE/Aruba - Email [email protected]
NTP
--------------------
Email us at [email protected]
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.