Dive Brief:
- Cloud computing offers major benefits to schools, and while there are risks that have presented barriers to adoption for some, experts say there are ways to mitigate risk and still see the advantages.
- EdTech: Focus on K-12 reports data breaches are a top concern, but districts can encrypt their data to offer another layer of protection. And though risks presented by end users are serious, awareness campaigns can help. Finally, targeted outreach to teachers can ensure they understand why they shouldn’t sign up for cloud-based applications on their own.
- IT professionals can avoid a good deal of risk by doing their due diligence on the front end, finding out which vendors will keep data safe, private and secure and follow FERPA guidelines before entering into any contracts.
Dive Insight:
Every IT conference today includes sessions about managing risk of cloud computing. It is on the radar of every IT department in the nation and the awareness has spread to other administrators and school board members, meaning many districts are offering more money to address data security concerns.
Still, there is virtually no way to completely avoid risk. The best schools can do is be smart about which vendors they partner with, put rigorous security protections in place and have a plan to quickly address and resolve breaches. The education sector is one of the most targeted because of its high concentration of personal data. It is important to keep in mind, however, that while cloud computing presents its own set of risks, some argue data can actually be more secure when it is stored off-site.
