5 Questions About Security Debt for K–12 School Districts

1. What Is Security Debt, and How Is It Different from Technical Debt?

Security debt is the accumulation of vulnerabilities and gaps that occur as technology products and portfolios mature and network architectures and security baselines evolve. If IT stands still while the world around it changes, dangers accrue on their own. Unlike technical debt, security debt includes unknown risks and unpredictable mitigations: You don’t know what you don’t know. This hidden security debt poses risks to K–12 operations and to student, teacher and staff privacy, while also leaving schools more exposed to cyberattacks and compliance and audit failures. 

2. What are Common Causes of Security Debt?

Relying on specialized equipment and niche software systems may result in accumulating more security debt than expected. IT teams often must rely on patchwork solutions to integrate legacy systems with newer applications and networks, and each obsolete or obscure device in the network adds to the risk profile. This accumulation of security debt is particularly common among K–12 school districts as they attempt to extend the life of their existing security stacks.

3. What Happens When Security Debt Accumulates?

The risks of security debt can be severe, from network performance issues to a breach that disrupts systems. When unaddressed vulnerabilities accumulate, school districts may even be at risk of data exfiltration that could compromise personal information. 

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4. What Strategies Can Reduce the Risk of Security Debt?

Operationally, strategies such as continuous monitoring constantly assess the security status of networks, systems, devices and applications. With real-time visibility into security posture, IT teams can prioritize remediation of risks before they turn into breaches. More important, though, is long-term management of security debt. High-quality vulnerability assessment tools, outside risk assessments and budget support to replace the most vulnerable legacy systems all help mitigate security debt. IT teams should also conduct impact assessments to prioritize patching and protect critical devices and applications.

5. How Can an IT Team Balance Workflow Needs With Remediation?

At best, security debt is a nuisance for IT teams. At worst, it can lead to cyberattacks that damage a district’s reputation. Security debt is particularly common in IT environments with patchwork solutions. To minimize the threat, IT must have a seat at the table to ensure that underinvestment in security doesn’t lead to catastrophic system failure in the future.