K-12 vendors are an important part of all aspects of K-12 education. From operational needs like attendance and payroll to learning applications for reading, science and math, vendors ensure school districts operate as efficiently and effectively as possible.
But K-12 vendors are also one of the largest single sources of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in schools and districts. The U.S. Government Accountability Office claims: […] It tends to affect K-12s particularly hard because it affects a large number of students across multiple school districts at the same time. ”
In fact, according to the K12 SIX annual report, 55% of reported school data breaches in 2021 were related to incidents originating from school district vendors.
How can you stay safe? Here are three ways to ensure that choosing a K-12 vendor leads to better outcomes, not lesser cybersecurity.
1.Show Me Your Bona Fides
Is the vendor FERPA certified? The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. This law applies to all schools that receive funding under applicable U.S. Department of Education programs.
What about COPPA certification? The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act imposes requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under the age of 13, as well as those who do not actually recognize that they are collecting personal information online from children. We also impose requirements on operators of other websites or online services that we use. Under the age of 13.
Related:
4 ways to avoid cybersecurity snake oil
How Digital Equity Strengthens School Cybersecurity