STEVENS POINT, WI--(Marketwired - June 30, 2014) - With more than 90 percent of school districts turning to electronic data storage for everything from student attendance to course enrollment, the need for data security and privacy protection is at an all-time high. Skyward, an industry leading K-12 school administrative software provider, announces the release of privacy and security guidelines that all schools can implement to ensure their student data is protected. A copy of the guidelines is available for download at skyward.com/protectyourdata.
The privacy recommendations outline the importance of data and security in education, and offer best practices for districts looking to improve their electronic storage protection. The step-by-step guide also provides districts with a better understanding of the roles both privacy and security play in the overall protection of student data. With the guidelines, districts will be able to evaluate and strengthen their internal privacy procedures, data management and information storage.
"The student data protection guidelines will help school districts around the country build upon and support their current privacy and security procedures," said Ray Ackerlund, vice president of marketing and product management at Skyward. "As electronic data storage becomes more prevalent in our education system, it is important that districts take the proper steps to ensure their student data is protected."
Districts can safeguard their data by configuring strict security access, discussing the important of data privacy with staff members and conducting routine security audits. The recommendations also assist districts with their security measures, whether storage is implemented on-premise or through cloud computing. Districts who choose to store their data on-site are asked to consider key security steps, such as establishing separate network access points and creating a disaster recovery policy. Similarly, the guidelines offer suggestions for cloud-based storage. Districts that utilize cloud services should ensure their provider meets recommended standards and provide database monitoring services.
Serving more than 5 million students worldwide, Skyward has established a data privacy standard that maintains strict customer confidentiality and security practices. Skyward provides industry-leading K-12 school administrative software that empowers educators to effectively integrate, manage and analyze all critical education data, including student information, academic performance, finance and human resources.