IT professionals

Each day, schools and universities face cyber threats from bad actors who want access to the sensitive data stored in education systems.

In 2023, Oregon State University (OSU) was at the forefront of innovation, securing more than $480 million in competitive research grants. However, the spring of 2021 brought a harsh realization: even the most prestigious institutions are not immune to cyber threats.

Technology was already firmly integrated with school systems before the COVID-19 pandemic. But since 2020, admin processes and classroom learning—whether traditional, hybrid, or fully remote—have pivoted, increasingly relying on technology-based solutions.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, school staff were responsible for most of the accidental security breaches plaguing schools between 2016–2020, with students responsible for most of the intentional breaches (the bulk of incidents being to—perhaps unsurprisingly—change grades).

On February 6, people around the world will celebrate Safer Internet Day 2024. Originating in the European Union in 2004, today Safer Internet Day is honored in over 180 countries.

Over the last year, we have seen incredible innovation, resiliency, and adaptability around the intersection of AI technology and education.

Each year at Microsoft Ignite—one of our largest and most popular events—we focus on sharing our most innovative updates with the world.

During November at Microsoft, we focus on innovation, AI, and the cloud at one of our biggest events of the year: the Microsoft Ignite conference.

With the rapid transition to digital learning and the increased need for device management in education institutions, we understand the importance of providing secure digital environments for all staff and students.

Microsoft is excited to announce that the Teams for Education app is being re-designed on a foundation of speed, performance, and flexibility, and has now launched as the next evolution of Microsoft Teams—new Microsoft Teams for Education.

“We need to be taking these cyber-attacks on schools as seriously as we do physical attacks on critical infrastructure. Schools are the infrastructure of learning in America.” – Dr.

Today, we’re excited to share two ways we’re enhancing search experiences in education to help provide access to better answers, unlock creativity, and save time. Bing Chat Enterprise is now available in preview for Microsoft 365 A3 and A5 faculty users at no additional cost.