2026 INCTO Clinic

Every CTO in K-12 is being asked the same question: Are our schools truly prepared for what?s next?

From rising safety concerns to increasing cyber threats, the gap between legacy security systems and today?s risks has never been wider. Many districts don?t realize just how exposed they are?until it?s too late.

In this session, you?ll see how forward-thinking districts are shifting to a unified, cloud-managed platform that brings cameras, access control, and AI-driven insights into a single, secure environment. More importantly, you?ll walk away with a clear understanding of where your current approach may be falling short?and what modern, proactive protection actually looks like.

Join your peers who are already rethinking school safety and take the first step toward closing the gap.

In today?s digital-first education environment, school districts rely heavily on cloud platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 to power communication, collaboration, and learning. But what happens when critical data is accidentally deleted, maliciously altered, or lost due to ransomware or system failures?

This session explores the growing importance of independent cloud backup and data protection strategies for K-12 institutions. Attendees will learn why native protections from Google and Microsoft are not enough to safeguard against real-world risks such as accidental deletions, insider threats, ransomware attacks, and compliance requirements.

Through real-life case studies from school districts, we?ll demonstrate how organizations have successfully recovered from major data loss incidents?including large-scale account deletions, ransomware infections, and unintended domain cleanups?without disrupting operations. These examples highlight the critical role of having secure, air-gapped backups and rapid recovery capabilities in place.

We will also dive into how modern backup solutions go beyond simple data storage by offering advanced features such as ransomware detection, global search and eDiscovery, sensitive data monitoring (FERPA, HIPAA, PCI), and Google Classroom backup?an increasingly vital need in today?s learning environments.

Attendees will walk away with a clear understanding of:

The shared responsibility model and why SaaS providers don?t fully protect your data
The most common causes of data loss in K-12 environments
Best practices for implementing a comprehensive backup and recovery strategy
How to ensure business continuity and meet cybersecurity and insurance requirements

Whether you're an IT leader, administrator, or technology decision-maker, this session will provide practical insights and actionable steps to better protect your district?s most valuable asset?its data.

With the rapid adoption of AI into the bad actors efforts, organizations are forced to anticipate the next attack vector and acquire or shore up defenses on the perimeter, cloud, identity and email. Firewalls and EDR's can be bypassed. Emails are trusted too often. IoT and OT devices are not being monitored. STOP GUESSING. STOP HOPING. Attend to learn more

AI is accelerating faster than policy. Students are getting better at bypassing filters. Concerns about screen time are rising. Cyber threats aren’t slowing down.

And most districts are trying to solve all of it by adding…another tool.

This session challenges that approach.

We’ll explore how tool sprawl is creating blind spots, slowing response times, and driving up costs—and we’ll show what a consolidated strategy looks like instead. Learn how leading districts are managing AI, enforcing policy, protecting students, and strengthening cybersecurity through a unified platform that actually works together.

If your team feels stretched thin, this is a conversation about increasing impact by managing less.

Come and explore the latest and greatest free cybersecurity resources available from Federal, State, and Private Partners. We'll discuss the cybersecurity landscape as well as what may be coming next.