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District proposes hands‑on "purple‑team" cybersecurity test and training, budgeted at $45,500
Summary
Technology staff proposed a collaborative purple‑team cybersecurity exercise (red‑team attackers + blue‑team defenders) to test detection and incident response in real time and provide staff training; the work is budgeted at $50,000 and will be presented for approval at the March 16 meeting, with results shared in executive session in June.
Unionville‑Chadds Ford’s technology team asked the board on March 9 to approve a proactive, hands‑on cybersecurity exercise described as "purple teaming," in which an outside red team simulates attacks while district defenders (the blue team) respond in real time.
Mister Webb described purple teaming as a collaborative exercise that combines simulated attacks (red team) and internal‑team responses (blue team) so staff can learn indicators and response protocols while the event runs. "We're going to simulate real‑world scenarios and test our team. It's like a fire drill to ensure we know how to react," he said.
The proposal requests $45,500 for the assessment and training; the technology budget already contains a $50,000 line for security testing this year. Administration said the district would avoid known testing windows, schedule the exercise in April after the board’s approval, and present redacted results in an executive session in June.
Board members asked whether the exercise will include real system users and whether purple teaming will replace or complement prior testing methods. Mister Webb said the district is one of the first in Chester County to attempt this approach and emphasized the value of immediate training and feedback. He estimated the cost differential versus prior testing at roughly $20,000 but said he will recommend a longer strategic plan on cybersecurity in June.
What’s next: the board will be asked to approve the exercise at the regular meeting; administration plans to brief the board on results and next steps in executive session.
