State lawmakers hear support to improve school cybersecurity

By Jolie Peal , Reporter Nebraska Public Media News

March 11, 2025, 5 p.m. ·

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A bill that would allocate funding for cybersecurity protections in schools was discussed in the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee Tuesday. The bill, known as the HACKER Act, would also create a state cybersecurity team.

State Senator Wendy DeBoer, who introduced the bill, said schools are facing an increasing number of cyber threats.

“This legislation seeks to fortify our schools against these threats, ensuring a safe and secure digital environment for learning while preparing our students for the future,” she said.

HACKER stands for Holistic Approach to Cybersecurity for K-12 Education Resources Act. The bill allocates $10 million for the state to create a program for schools to buy cybersecurity products and services.

Powerschool, a school support software, reported a data breach earlier this year to schools across the country, including several in Nebraska.

Seward Public Schools Superintendent Josh Fields said that incident happened at the vendor level, so there wasn’t much the state could do to prevent it, but he said the legislation will help protect schools from attacks on Nebraska’s networks.

Fields supported the bill for several reasons, including the bill’s focus on supporting students looking to join technology careers through internships and financial incentives.

“That’s a great opportunity for kids to get excited," he said. "I tell you at Seward, we use a lot of the career pathway pieces, and so students can begin to look at what are the technology worlds that they have and can be able to integrate into our curriculum.”

No one spoke in opposition to the bill.