No one goes at it alone, k12 organizations need to work collectively to address growing cybersecurity challenges. The DPO Download provides NYS School District Data Protection Officers with insightful interviews, threat landscape updates, and peer spotlights so they don’t have to go at it alone.
Episode 42 - AI Literacy and Data Protection: A Blueprint for K–12 Leaders
In this episode our hosts welcome Melissa Boucher, Manager of the E-Learning Team at NERIC (Capital Region BOCES). The conversation explores the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in K–12 education, moving beyond basic administrative uses to innovative classroom applications like AI-driven interactive learning. Boucher addresses critical data privacy and security considerations, highlighting the risks of sensitive data exposure—such as students sharing personal information with AI companion bots like Character.AI. Emphasizing that school Data Protection Officers (DPOs) cannot navigate these challenges in isolation, she advocates for district-wide AI literacy, joint administrative committees, role-specific professional development, and collaborative approaches that foster safe, human-centered technology integration for teachers, students, and parents.
2 Sept 2026
Episode 41 - Navigating Cyber Insurance for School Districts: Key Risks, Essential Controls, and Policy Pitfalls
In this episode of The DPO Download, our hosts welcome risk advisors Nick Spencer and Scott Garcia from Smith Brothers Insurance to discuss the evolving landscape of cyber security insurance in K-12 school districts. The panel explores how cyber threats have shifted from simple data theft to sophisticated extortion schemes. The guests detail the critical shift from standard policy add-ons to dedicated, standalone cyber coverage, highlighting the core security controls underwriters require today—such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), data encryption, patch management, EDR, and air-gapped backups. Additionally, they examine common policy limitations like sub-limits and exclusions, offer practical advice on policy reviews and third-party vendor management, and share real-world anecdotes that underscore the importance of proactive risk management in education.
5 Aug 2026
Episode 40 - Unpacking NIST 2.0 with the RIC One DPSS Team
In this episode of The DPO Download, our hosts are joined by RIC One DPSS team members Ashleen Speen and Keith Schubert to unpack a major shift in New York State Ed Law 2-D compliance: the transition from the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 1.1 to version 2.0. Together, the panel explores how NIST 2.0 brings governance to the forefront of district leadership and how the team developed new, tiered community profiles (Critical, Core, and Comprehensive). Our guests highlight the collaborative effort behind RIC One’s newly released gap assessment and reporting tool, while sharing practical strategies for prioritizing risk, tracking evidence, and building long-term cybersecurity maturity—reminding listeners that when it comes to data privacy, no district has to go it alone.
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7 ratings
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5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100
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Quality
64
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YouTube
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Engagement
60
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