EdTech & Education Security
EdTech companies and educational institutions handle sensitive student data subject to FERPA, COPPA, and state privacy laws. We help education technology companies build security programs that protect student privacy, meet school district procurement requirements, and enable sales to K-12 and higher education markets.
How We Engage with EdTech Companies
Our Fractional CISO Approach for EdTech
Most EdTech companies engage a Fractional CISO to provide strategic security leadership without full-time overhead. We understand the education market's unique requirements and help you build programs that enable institutional sales.
What This Looks Like for EdTech Companies:
We understand education procurement—how districts evaluate vendors, what state agencies require, and how to navigate the complex landscape of student privacy laws. EdTech-specific priorities include:
- FERPA compliance with proper data handling for educational records
- COPPA compliance for products serving children under 13
- State privacy law navigation across different state requirements (California SOPIPA, New York Education Law 2-d, etc.)
- District procurement readiness with security documentation that satisfies buyer requirements
- SOC 2 certification increasingly required by larger districts and state agencies
Security Challenges Unique to EdTech
FERPA Compliance: Educational records require specific protections under FERPA. EdTech companies acting as "school officials" must limit data use to educational purposes, maintain appropriate security, and support schools' compliance obligations. Understanding the "school official" exception and its requirements is essential.
COPPA for Younger Students: Products serving children under 13 must comply with COPPA, requiring verifiable parental consent and limiting data collection. The FTC has increased enforcement, and violations carry significant penalties. Many EdTech products span age ranges, complicating compliance.
State Privacy Law Patchwork: Beyond federal law, states have enacted their own student privacy laws. California's SOPIPA, New York's Education Law 2-d, and similar statutes create varying requirements. Multi-state sales require understanding and meeting the strictest applicable standards.
District Procurement Requirements: School districts increasingly require vendors to complete security assessments, sign data privacy agreements, and provide compliance documentation. The Student Data Privacy Consortium's National DPA is becoming standard, and many districts require SOC 2 reports.
Data Minimization and Deletion: Education privacy laws emphasize data minimization and deletion requirements. EdTech companies must limit collection to educational purposes, avoid using data for advertising, and delete data when no longer needed for educational purposes or upon school request.
When Should EdTech Companies Engage Security Leadership?
EdTech companies face unique security pressures from institutional buyers. Here are signs you need security leadership now:
Sales & Customer Signals:
- School districts requiring security assessments before procurement
- State education agency RFPs with specific security requirements
- Lost deals due to inability to complete security questionnaires
- Districts asking for SOC 2 reports or equivalent attestations
- Consortium or cooperative purchasing agreements requiring security documentation
Compliance Signals:
- FERPA compliance questions you can't confidently answer
- COPPA requirements unclear for your product (if serving under-13 users)
- State student privacy laws (like California's SOPIPA) creating uncertainty
- Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with terms you're not sure you can meet
- Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC) National Data Privacy Agreement requirements
Operational Signals:
- No clear ownership of security and privacy program
- Engineering team making security decisions without policy guidance
- Uncertainty about data retention and deletion requirements
- Parent or advocacy group inquiries about data practices
- Scaling rapidly without security program keeping pace
If several of these apply, you need security leadership before a compliance gap becomes a sales blocker or a breach becomes a headline.
Common Questions About EdTech Security
Do EdTech companies need SOC 2 certification?
Increasingly, yes. While smaller districts may not require it, larger districts, state education agencies, and consortium purchasing agreements often require SOC 2 Type II reports. SOC 2 certification also demonstrates security maturity that differentiates you in competitive RFP processes.
How do FERPA and COPPA interact for EdTech?
They address different concerns but often overlap. FERPA protects educational records and applies when schools share data with EdTech vendors. COPPA protects children's online privacy and applies to products directed at children under 13. Many EdTech products must comply with both, though COPPA has a 'school authorization' exception for school-directed use.
What is the Student Data Privacy Consortium National DPA?
The SDPC National Data Privacy Agreement is a standardized contract that streamlines how districts and vendors agree on student data protection. Once a vendor signs the National DPA, individual districts can adopt it without negotiating separate agreements. Many EdTech companies find signing the National DPA accelerates sales cycles.
How do we handle different state privacy law requirements?
The practical approach is to build your program to the strictest requirements you'll encounter. California's SOPIPA and New York's Education Law 2-d are among the most stringent. Meeting these standards generally satisfies other states' requirements and positions you for nationwide sales.
Have more questions?
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