North Penn updates network core and cybersecurity measures; immutable backups and CrowdStrike cited

North Penn School District technology staff briefed the Safe Schools Committee on network infrastructure upgrades and cybersecurity measures the district has deployed or is implementing to support classroom technology and protect district systems.

Doctor Landis, the district's technology lead, outlined a five‑part infrastructure refresh that includes routers, edge hardware in buildings, a central core, firewall hardware and server/storage and backup systems. He told the committee the district has moved from a single 1‑gig pipeline to dual 10‑gig connections and that current hardware purchases have capacity to scale to 40 gigabits per second if needed.

"Most of the infrastructure is supported by E rate," Landis said, noting E‑Rate funds cover a large portion — often 50% or more — of back‑end infrastructure purchases. He said the district recently approved a firewall refresh to replace hardware that was nearing end of life and that the new firewall adds dynamic update capability and built‑in AI to automate security updates rather than applying patches manually.

Landis described other cybersecurity improvements: immutable backups (locked, off‑site copies of data), renewed endpoint detection and response through a statewide CrowdStrike consortium, identity management improvements, multifactor authentication and ongoing phishing simulations and training. "We are now in a good range in North Penn School District," Landis said when describing the district's cybersecurity score, adding that the goal is to move toward an "excellent" rating.

He also explained that additional server and storage capacity will be required as new security systems and increased video use come online and that some hardware installations are still underway because construction and timing have required phased work. The district is finishing core installation, completing security‑specific switches and still upgrading middle‑school hardware this summer.

In public comment, Jason Lanier of Lansdale asked whether the infrastructure upgrades would support classroom cameras. Doctor Bauer responded that the district is not currently exploring classroom cameras and that any future plans would require work on legislation and additional switching hardware. Landis said the district would have the flexibility to expand capacity but would likely need to buy additional switches depending on scale.

Committee members asked about physical redundancy for core hardware. Landis said full off‑site duplication of core hardware would be cost‑prohibitive; instead, the district builds redundancy into key components, uses dual internet providers for failover, and pays for six‑hour vendor turnaround on core hardware replacements. He also described plans for redundant air‑conditioning for data center hardware to avoid overheating and unplanned shutdowns.

Landis asked the board to direct any detailed cybersecurity questions to an executive session because specifics can create security risk; he said high‑level reporting was appropriate for the public meeting.

Less critical details: the district plans additional storage next year for servers and may add security switches to handle cameras and vape detectors; the technology department has launched a second season of cybersecurity training for staff and students, described as short episodes and phishing simulations.