By Dian Schaffhauser 02/17/21 A group of K-12 organizations has banded together to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to incorporate cybersecurity purchases into the E-rate program. The goal of the 35-page petition is to help school districts protect their networks and data by expanding E-rate in three ways: By defining all firewall and related features as "basic" beginning in funding year 2021; Increasing E-rate's five-year Category 2 budget cap in future funding years to support additional cybersecurity investments; and Updating the agency's definition of "broadband" to include cybersecurity. "With cyberattacks threatening the broadband networks and data of schools, including the school systems serving some of the country's most