Category Archives: student data privacy

Student Records Data Breach Prompts Legislation in Old Line State

The state: Maryland

The data breach: Student records, including names, brthdates and Social Security numbers in Frederick County Public Schools

Why legislation was triggered? 

  • A state senator didn’t think he was getting enough answers from education officials
  • An April 2015 audit called for increased data security measures for student data

The legislative proposal: 

  • Requiring up to 5 years of identity and credit monitoring for data breach victims
  • Not require schools to transfer…

1 Byte. Why Data Security Extends Beyond Computers.

The U.S. Air Force forewarns that data security is more than computers. Its networked mechanics and platforms.

There’s even handy jargon sure to catch on- operationalize cyber security.

Sound familiar? Sounds likeutilize medical equipment that transmits information, or dolls that contain information about children, or your Fitbit.

Defense Systems | Air Force: Cyber security extends beyond IT

Protecting Education Data. Consider this 3rd Party Education Vendor Experience in Chicago

What data was shared? Chicago Public Schools improperly shared student information that led to direct advertising by a Charter School. 

How did a 3rd party gain access to public school data? A school employee willingly shared it with the Charter School.

SC Media | Chicago Public School data improperly shared

Top 5 Data Security Risks for Public Schools. Bonjour Procurement Contracts.

Who identified the public education data security risks? Missouri State Auditor 

Was the auditor acting under a special audit program? The Cyber Aware School audits initiative

What 5 data security risks did the MO auditor identify?

  • Data management programs are not fully utilized to ensure senstive data is available to those who need the data but maintains privacy
  • Account management. Need policies and procedures for authorizing, reviewing and removing user access
  • Security…

Student Data Breach in Texas. 4 Pieces Informed Intel.

  • Katy ISD experienced a data breach
  • The data breach came  by way of a third party vendor breach that exposed Katy ISD student data
  • The data breached was on a secure server and included:
    • student names
    • birthdates
    • social security numbers/state ID numbers
    • email addresses
    • zip codes
  • The 3rd party vendor will offer identification monitoring to impacted students

KHOU | Katy ISD notifies parents of potential data breach of students’ info

Houston Chronicle | Katy ISD warns staff,…

A.G. Paxton Settles Children Data Security Suit

The data collection: Collecting data in violation of Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, including IP and GPS data on children utilizing an App

The violation of Texas law: Deceptive Trade Practices for collecting data on Texans younger than 13 via an App

Office of Attorney General Ken Paxton | AG Paxton Settles Suit with App Company Collecting Children’s Information

Schools Access Kids Private Data. No Parental Consent. 3 Points of Informed Intel.

Scenario: School provides kid laptop/ipad. Kid uses laptop/ipad for school work and personal use.  School learns kid likes to watch YouTube at 3am and sleeps in class.

How can schools track students:

  • schools can access what programs/websites kids use
  • schools can access where the kids were when they used the laptop/ipad
  • some schools remotely monitor students through cameras on the devices

Are 3rd parties involved to monitor kids activity on school laptops/ipads? yes & they flag…

4 Recommendations for Protecting Student Data. Pay to Arm Yourself with IT Information. Stop being stingy.

Who is recommending student data protections?  A report from new report on data privacy from the Southern Regional Education Board

What are the 4 recommendations?

  • Clear & transparent state data governance policies. Make the policies easy to find for parents.
    • Print the policies out and pin them to parents at orientation
  • Fund & improve student data security
    • Stop being so stingy
  • Train the people who handle student data
    • Teach the teachers
  • Fund IT support at schools
    • Again, stop…

Case Study. Small School District. New Data Security Protocols. 3 Takeaways including Procurement.

Biggest data security concern: 3rd party vendors. Especially free web based vendors.

The school district’s solution: Training teachers and staff about data privacy standards

The contracting change the district made: Standard privacy clauses that do not shift privacy liability to the school district

EdScoop | Small Missouri school district thinks big about privacy and security

2017. Southern State Pushing Forward on Student Data Protection.

The state: Alabama

The legislation: A State agency to track student data from early education through entering the workforce

What‘s the background? In 2015, the Governor issued an executive order to create a  longitudinal data system to track studnt data. This executive order requires legislation to fund it.

The projected cost to track student data? $1.6 million

What did the Governor’s Executive Order do?

  • Created an advisory board
  • “Developed a state talent pipeline capable of…