ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR STRENGTHENING CYBERSECURITY IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

Abstract

The rapid adoption of educational technologies (EdTech) in U.S. public schools has significantly transformed teaching, learning, and administrative operations. However, the increasing reliance on digital platforms such as learning management systems, cloud services, and remote learning tools has also exposed schools to a growing number of cybersecurity threats. These threats include ransomware attacks, phishing attempts, data breaches, and unauthorized access to sensitive student information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising solution for strengthening cybersecurity in educational environments by enabling automated threat detection, predictive analytics, and rapid incident response. This research examines how AI technologies improve cybersecurity in U.S. public school educational systems. Using a mixed-method approach involving survey data, statistical modeling, and simulated cybersecurity incidents, the study evaluates the effectiveness of AI-based cybersecurity solutions compared to traditional security systems. Results indicate that AI-driven cybersecurity systems significantly improve threat detection accuracy and reduce response time to cyber incidents. Machine learning-based systems have been shown to increase threat detection accuracy to approximately 95.7% compared to 78.4% for traditional rule-based systems, while also significantly reducing incident response time. The findings demonstrate that AI can play a crucial role in strengthening cybersecurity resilience in educational institutions while protecting sensitive student data and digital learning platforms. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of AI-driven security frameworks to support proactive threat management through continuous monitoring and intelligent anomaly detection. The integration of machine learning techniques enables educational institutions to identify vulnerabilities earlier and mitigate cyber risks before significant damage occurs. In addition, AI-based systems reduce the operational burden on IT administrators by automating routine security monitoring tasks. These findings suggest that adopting AI-driven cybersecurity solutions can significantly enhance the overall security infrastructure of modern educational environments.