School Network Testing-Day Protection Checklist

This document is a checklist designed for school IT leaders to ensure the reliability of standardized testing by preventing downtime, security incidents, and disruptions on testing days. It outlines several key areas of focus, including web filtering and CIPA compliance, firewall and network segmentation, encryption and secure traffic, as well as monitoring and intrusion prevention. Each section provides specific actions to be taken, such as deploying a CIPA-compliant web content filter, blocking unsolicited inbound traffic, enforcing SSL/TLS for web applications, and implementing 24/7 network monitoring solutions. The checklist also includes a scoring model to assess the risk level based on completed actions, with immediate red flags indicating areas of concern. Additionally, it suggests next steps for schools that identify potential exposure, such as scheduling a School Network Readiness Assessment. The document aims to enhance the security and reliability of the network during critical testing periods.