Closing the digital divide one anchor institution at a time.
SHLB Welcomes FCC’s Cybersecurity Plan, Urges Shorter Timeline November 14, 2023
For Immediate Release
Contact:John Windhausen
Executive Director
202-256-9616
SHLB Welcomes FCC’s Cybersecurity Plan, Urges Shorter Timeline
Washington, D.C. (November 14, 2023) - Today, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, a leading advocate for broadband equity and community anchor institutions (CAIs), including schools, responded to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) formal proposal of a $200 million Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program.
The proposed initiative, aimed at strengthening cybersecurity measures for K-12 schools and libraries, would set up a three-year pilot program within the Universal Service Fund (USF) but outside of the E-rate program.
"The FCC's initiative to address cybersecurity in K-12 schools and libraries is a crucial step forward, but the proposed pilot program's timeline does not match the urgent need for cyber-security protections,” said John Windhausen, SHLB’s executive director. “In the past two years, dozens of schools and libraries have fallen victim to cyber-criminals, endangering student information and compromising the integrity of these crucial community resources. We want to ensure the program is swift and efficient in fending off such attacks. We will encourage the FCC to shorten the pilot to a one-year trial to provide schools and libraries with the resources they need as quickly as possible.”
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About SHLB:
The SHLB Coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-quality broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, D.C. and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations from across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.