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Technology chief outlines Skyward upgrade, cybersecurity training and summer network refresh
Summary
Dennis Elich, the district’s director of technology, reported on a smooth Skyward upgrade project, a recent FEMA cybersecurity exercise that validated district incident response capabilities, and a planned summer network-equipment refresh that will require temporary building-level outages during replacement work.
Dennis Elich, director of technology for Derby Public Schools, briefed the board Feb. 10 on the department’s priorities: a major Skyward upgrade, cybersecurity preparedness training and a summer network-equipment replacement that will temporarily interrupt building communications.
Elich said the Skyward upgrade is on schedule. He described a recent FEMA-provided cybersecurity exercise that simulated a ransomware attack; district staff participated in the incident response and received positive feedback from instructors for technical and management performance. Elich said the district expects cyber incidents "not if but when," and praised his team’s preparedness.
The district plans a summer network-equipment refresh that will replace switches and other hardware across buildings. Elich warned that during active replacement each building will temporarily lose phones, emergency systems and surveillance while equipment is replaced; the technology team will coordinate calendars with building leaders to minimize impact on scheduled summer activities.
Elich also said the district already has GoGuardian licensing to support many parental oversight recommendations from a local Blue Ribbon Committee and that most requested monitoring features could be provided without additional licensing. He summarized his department’s goals as "stability, security and sustainability."
