Rhode Island Schools Deploy DNS Service to Tackle Ransomware

Rhode Island will become the first state to deploy a statewide cybersecurity tool aimed at protecting K-12 schools from escalating ransomware attacks, the White House announced Monday.

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The Protective Domain Name Service will provide enhanced protections to 136,000 students across Rhode Island’s 64 school districts by blocking access to malicious websites and other risky online destinations. The goal is to stop cyberattacks before they occur by providing districts with a federally-funded third-party service that requires no cost, no complex passwords, no lengthy configurations and no disruptive manual interventions.

The announcement comes amid a surge in cyberattacks on schools and universities nationwide, as escalating threats from foreign adversaries overwhelm resource-strapped districts that often lack comprehensive cybersecurity defenses. Experts warn that threat actors are exploiting schools with increasingly sophisticated tactics, like posing as fake companies to build trust and access sensitive data, including students’ health and financial records (see: Schools Face Spike in Cyberattacks From Nation-State Hackers).

“For too long, our schools have been going toe-to-toe with motivated ransomware gangs, sophisticated cyber criminals and well-resourced nation-state actors putting the data and safety of our students and schools at risk,” White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker said in a statement. Coker joined state officials after the Rhode Island Department of Education signed a formal agreement with ONCD to adopt protective DNS services across all schools statewide by June 30, 2025.

The state also pledged to foster cybersecurity awareness and training through professional development and awareness campaigns for administrators, teachers, staff and students, while further safeguarding student and staff privacy from unauthorized access and potential cyber threats.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency called on K-12 schools earlier this year to establish multidisciplinary threat assessment teams to help address a wide range of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and anonymous threats of violence. The agency also introduced a new toolkit, described by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as a “first-of-its-kind” resource, designed to equip school systems with essential tools to address the escalating challenges of the modern threat landscape (see: US CISA Releases Toolkit for Anonymous School Threats).

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said the state “is making a statewide push for every local education agency to commit to some simple but effective strategies,” noting that school districts face five cyber incidents each week on average, according to the Education Department.