Information technology from Angela McAdoo was included during the superintendent’s operational update at the Colleton County Board of Education on Tuesday, November 29.
On Tuesday, December 13th, the CCSD Board of Directors met at the PAC (Performing Arts Center) at CCHS (Colleton County High School).
information technology report
On Tuesday, November 29, Colleton County School District employee Angela McAdoo submitted a technical report on technical programming across the school district to the school board and the community in attendance.
In the report, McAdoo explained that it encountered several challenges during the planning stage to roll out a “multi-factor authentication” (2FA) system throughout the district. Many schools indicated that they did not have a reliable signal because the school was located in a rural area. As a result, her members of staff are receiving her second prompt for login.
McAdoo and her team have designed a solution that allows you to create a “safe haven.” This “safe haven” bypasses the multi-factor authentication step. Staff are stationed at each district-owned facility. However, when a member of staff tries to access resources outside the school district, they will be prompted for a second authentication factor.
McAdoo said that after discussions with her executive cabinet, the decision was made to move to a new and improved help desk and asset management solution. The new solution allows her to monitor SLA metrics that determine how long tickets take to respond and close. Also monitor the response time to these actions. The program also gives you better visibility into your district’s facilities and work orders.
School districts currently operate on two different platforms. One platform is used to track assets and an additional platform is where tickets are stored. The new system also improves reporting capabilities. Additionally, consolidating separate platforms into one saves approximately $15,000 in costs compared to current multi-platform systems. McAdoo and her team plan to embark on this new system as a collaborative effort with buildings and grounds, ensuring that everything goes through the same system when work orders need to be submitted.
McAdoo and her team are also considering a partnership with South Carolina.
Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security Program (SC CIC). The program provides monthly phishing tests and vulnerability scans, as well as incident response when needed. The application process for this program is now open and is a free opportunity for districts.
McAdoo said it is also partnering with the Ministry of Education
Get access to the “Nessus Professional” on-premises network vulnerability scanning program. The program is free and you will not be charged for a month. A program that scans and tracks vulnerabilities. The report is sent to the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) for viewing, and a report of the findings is returned.
McAdoo said he is working with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Labor to get the team security certified. This program is worth $5,000 per he and is provided free to districts through SC CompTIA IWT Scholarships. Eight people are scheduled to obtain certification.
Additionally, the department is conducting a security audit of the environment. Audit results help establish a baseline for the district’s cybersecurity and insurance readiness. It also gives you a better sense of what direction you need to go in order to improve your district and put it in a safer position. This step also helps school districts obtain cyber insurance.
At the end of the presentation, School Board member Sharon Witkin asked whether the cost of security audits is a budget item. McAdoo said it was not a budget item. Witkins asked Ramona Barrett, a district office rep, if she would raise audit fees to bid for her auditor and attend the board meeting. McAdoo said it worked with its chief procurement officer to assure the board that everything was within guidelines. Barrett and Witkin then discussed some details, but it was decided that they would be included in the financial report.
School board member Lynn Strobl also asked about the district’s website and communications. It is currently being discussed that the district’s website is not very user-friendly when it comes to finding information related to school board meetings and times, and Stroble wants to share it so they can fix it. was
*Update: On Tuesday, December 13th, the CCSD Board of Directors met at CCHS (Colleton County High School)’s PAC (Performing Arts Center). Due to the concerns raised, CCSD official Ramona Barrett clarified from the finance department that district data such as employee social security numbers, bank information and district bank accounts are not subject to cyberattacks. Did. All district employee data is secure.
CCSD employee Ellen Fitch responded about the work order system the district currently uses. She said the tech department now uses multiple platforms to manage multiple operations across the school district, but to save money for the school district, she decided to reduce the system of work orders to one. You mentioned that you are looking to consolidate into a platform. The current forecast target for migration to one platform is scheduled for July 1st.
**Additionally, Colleton County School District employee Angela McAdoo submitted her formal resignation to the district on Wednesday, November 30, following a school board meeting on Tuesday, November 29. Her official final date for McAdoo is her December 31st.
More details will be combined with future reports. The next school board meeting was held on his Tuesday, December 13th.
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