Security Technology Solutions
Education Services
Educational institutions, from K-12 to universities, manage a vast amount of sensitive data, including student academic records, health information, financial aid data, and faculty research. This makes them attractive targets for data breaches, ransomware attacks, and intellectual property theft. Protecting student privacy, ensuring the integrity of academic operations, and complying with specific educational privacy laws are crucial for maintaining trust and delivering uninterrupted learning.
Key Regulations For Education Sector
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):
The primary U.S. federal law protecting the privacy of student education records. It grants parents and eligible students rights regarding access to their education records and generally requires written permission to release PII from education records. FERPA has significant implications for how schools store, share, and protect student data.
HIPAA / HITECH:
If the educational institution operates a health clinic, hospital, or medical school, or processes Protected Health Information (PHI) within its operations, it must comply with HIPAA's security, privacy, and breach notification rules.
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):
Relevant for K-12 schools and EdTech providers. COPPA regulates the online collection of personal information from children under 13, requiring verifiable parental consent and clear privacy policies.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS):
Applicable to any educational institution that processes tuition payments, bookstore purchases, or other financial transactions via credit cards, ensuring the secure handling and storage of cardholder data.
GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act):
If the educational institution provides financial aid services (e.g., student loans directly), GLBA's Safeguards Rule may apply, requiring an information security program to protect student financial information.
State-Specific Data Privacy Laws & Breach Notification Laws:
Many states have their own laws extending or enhancing federal privacy protections for student data, and all states have laws mandating notification in the event of a data breach involving PII.
Our Solutions for Education
Security Technology Solutions offers specialized cybersecurity and compliance consulting to educational institutions, safeguarding student data, academic integrity, and operational continuity.
• Security Posture Assessments & Gap Analysis: We conduct thorough assessments of your student information systems, learning management systems, research networks, and administrative systems against FERPA, COPPA, and NIST CSF guidelines, identifying vulnerabilities that could expose sensitive student or research data.
• Regulatory Compliance & Governance Consulting: Our experts guide you through FERPA, COPPA, HIPAA (if applicable), and PCI DSS requirements, helping you develop robust data governance policies, student data privacy protocols, and prepare for audits to ensure compliance.
• Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) & Risk Analysis: We help identify and mitigate risks specific to education, such as ransomware encrypting academic records, phishing attacks targeting financial aid data, intellectual property theft in research, and risks associated with widespread use of personal devices on campus networks.
• Incident Response Planning & Advisory: We develop and test rapid incident response plans tailored for educational environments, focusing on minimizing academic disruption, protecting student and faculty data, and ensuring timely notification in compliance with FERPA and breach notification laws.
• Security Strategy & Roadmap Development: We work with educational institutions to build a long-term cybersecurity strategy that supports digital learning initiatives, secure research collaboration, and protects the integrity of online examinations and student records.
• Security Awareness Training & Education Program Design: We design customized training for faculty, staff, and students on protecting personal and student data, identifying phishing scams targeting financial aid or credentials, and promoting safe online behaviors across campus networks.
• Vendor Risk Management (Third-Party Risk Advisory): Essential for managing risks from EdTech platforms, learning management systems (LMS), student information systems (SIS), and cloud service providers that handle sensitive student data. We assess these vendors to ensure their security practices meet your compliance needs.
• Data Privacy Consulting: Our specialized services ensure your institution's collection, storage, and sharing of student, faculty, and donor data are fully compliant with FERPA, COPPA, GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant privacy laws, fostering a secure learning environment.