CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — As cyberattacks on schools climb nationwide, CCISD is moving fast to protect student and staff data. District leaders say this is the largest cybersecurity training in the nation with the Cybersecurity Coalition for Education.
"Our students. It's our faculty, our coworkers," Daniel Shelton, Information Security Officer, said.
Your children's address, to their health information to even their test scores.
"All that information that can expose vulnerabilities," Shelton said.
Now being used to target you.
"So much personal information from students and staff," Janelle Reyes, Director of Technology Support – CCISD, said.
That threat is what brought educators from across different neighborhoods to learn about cybersecurity.
One of the takeaways: how hackers are now using AI to impersonate trusted people you know to make fake emails and even phone calls.
"Is that the actual person sending this message to me? You want to make sure that is taken care of before you do anything," Shelton said.
A 2025 report from the Center for Internet Security shows 82% of K-12 schools have experienced a cyber incident. While CCISD hasn't seen a cyber breach yet, they are staying proactive.
"Phishing is still the number one way people are getting into our networks," Shelton said.
Daniel Shelton is an Information Security Officer for CCISD and talks about the need to protect this data.
Shelton says those attacks often look harmless.
"It could come from a principal," Shelton said.
It could be a simple message, a link, or an attachment that feels urgent but could cause a major security breach, which is why this presentation is important for years to come.
Officials say if schools adopt the steps taught here, many attacks can be stopped before they hit a campus.
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