Top 5 data risks that affect school information management systems

Technology is such a big part of academic processes today and it’s hard to imagine to live without them. But it has a downside. Schools and higher education have been a favorite target for identity theft and frauds. If proper precautions are not taken, records in educational institutions are vulnerable to security breaches.  

Colleges and universities have a reputation of weaker data security, making them susceptible to data loss. The huge volume of student and staff data built into the system, along with high turnover and a collaborative multi-platform environment results in rampant data loss at institutions.  Here are five top data risks and tips on how to protect education institutes against them.

1. Malware

Digital hackers are watching your every move and trick you to download malware and take control of your computer remotely. They use malware to attack computer networks to perpetrate crimes.  Fraudsters use virus, malware, spyware, spams, and phishing to gain access to your sensitive personal information and commit financial crimes. Defend your data against malware through secure servers, whether physical or in cloud, and shield against vulnerabilities.  

2. Theft & Loss

Unauthorized users without permissions who have access to sensitive data can cause harm to educational institutions as a result of theft. There is a risk of the sensitive academic data will be leaked by staff. It becomes easy to lose your storage media with backup data due to misplacement or theft. When you suffer data loss due to various incidents such as mechanical damage, power failure, software crash, disasters or loss of your laptops and mobile devices, it is another way of inadvertent data exposure. Keep all your data safe and secure using role-based access control to ensure confidentiality and privacy.       

3. Unsafe data

If adequate safety precautions are not taken when files and documents are shared in website, smartphones and tablets via internet networks, the information contained on them might gain access to the devices and get exposed to risks. We can make use of cloud deployments to manage the education system better and better.

4. Negligence

When data is stored in computers or laptops, it has become so natural that people lose the information when files are accidentally deleted or even it could fall into the wrong hands. Ensure a proper backup strategy to keep your data on important devices and run them smoothly without hassles.

5. Third party APIs

Quite often, institutions tend to use their credentials for accessing 3rd party APIs. When you integrate third party application into the existing system, you could be exposing the institution and its data at risk. Institutions should integrate the right third party API with their system and enjoy the best quality of service critical to the operations of the institution.

Educational institutions should start addressing the five pain points with a powerful school management system to mitigate the problems of data security. Cloud-based services can make a tremendous difference to the institute. Provide role-based secure data access, take automatic data backups, and save millions of dollars for the institute.