Skip to content
EDUCATION INDUSTRY

Security for Education

Educationalinstitutionsmanagevastamountsofpersonal,financial,andresearchdataacrossopen,distributednetworksusedbythousandsofstudents,faculty,andstaff.Wehelpschoolsanduniversitiesprotectstudentrecords,secureresearchdata,defendcampusnetworks,andcomplywithFERPArequirements—allwhilerespectingtheopen,collaborativeculturethatmakesacademicenvironmentsunique.

Industry snapshot

A distinctive risk profile

Open networks, decentralized IT, and sensitive student and research data make education one of the most targeted sectors worldwide — demanding a security approach that respects academic culture while protecting critical assets.

10k+
Users per Campus
Students, faculty, staff
4+
Regulatory frameworks
FERPA · GLBA · NIST · ITAR/EAR
24/7
Open network culture
BYOD · eduroam · research
#1
Ransomware target
Education sector, per Sophos
Compliance

Regulatory Frameworks

Every engagement is mapped to the frameworks that matter most in this industry — so each finding directly supports your compliance posture.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
protects student education records and requires institutions to implement appropriate security measures
GLBA Safeguards Rule
applies to higher education institutions that process financial aid and student loan information
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
widely adopted by universities as the foundation for campus cybersecurity programs
Export Controls (ITAR/EAR)
security requirements for institutions conducting controlled research with export-restricted data
Methodology

Testing methodology

A tested, repeatable approach covering every layer of the modern environment relevant to this industry.

01 · PHASE

Campus network penetration testing

assessing security across decentralized, multi-segmented campus networks with thousands of endpoints

02 · PHASE

Student Information System (SIS) and LMS security assessment

testing access controls, data isolation, and API security

03 · PHASE

Research computing environment testing

high-performance computing clusters, research data repositories, and lab networks

04 · PHASE

Wireless network security assessment

testing eduroam and campus-wide Wi-Fi for rogue access points and authentication weaknesses

05 · PHASE

Phishing simulations targeting students, faculty, and administrative staff

06 · PHASE

BYOD and endpoint security assessment across diverse device populations

Services

Key services

Targeted services for the most common security needs across schools, colleges, and research universities.

Threat landscape

Threats facing this sector today

Every security engagement is scoped based on the attack patterns that actually hit schools and universities — not a generic checklist.

Ransomware on campus networks

Encryption attacks that shut down registration, learning-management, and research systems during critical academic periods.

Research & IP theft

State-sponsored and competitor targeting of export-controlled research, pre-publication data, and proprietary lab work.

BEC & payroll fraud

Business-email compromise targeting finance and HR to redirect tuition refunds, vendor payments, and staff payroll.

Student-data exposure

FERPA-regulated records leaked through misconfigured cloud storage, exposed SIS APIs, or shadow-IT applications.

Account takeover

Credential-stuffing and targeted phishing against eduroam, SSO, and VPN accounts — especially privileged admin and faculty access.

Shadow-IT & unmanaged devices

Decentralized IT, BYOD laptops, and departmental servers create blind spots the central security team cannot see.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Ready to secure your institution?

Talk to our team about a security assessment tailored to the unique risk profile of your school, college, or research university.

Request a Security Assessment