Enhancing control with Zero Trust in schools

While it’s not a good sign for a relationship, Zero Trust is a must-have for cybersecurity, especially for schools.

Zero Trust adds an extra layer of security to your network – without making it more complicated for your users. In a world of hybrid access, multiple user types, BYO devices and increasing cyber-risk, it gives schools the visibility and control they need to protect their data.

If you think of a school network as an ancient walled city, cyber security is like a system of gates, guards and drawbridges that keep it safe. Dive a little further into the analogy, and you can imagine different levels of clearance for different parts of the city – some people can enter the castle, while others have to stay out in the digital courtyard. That, in essence, is Zero Trust.

The protection model adds layers of security at the entry point and lets you wall off parts of your school system to individual users or devices. Staff, students and visitors log in as usual while your IT team controls access to services and data behind the scenes. Continuous checking and rechecking of security clearances, along with two-factor authentication, ensures that only legitimate users can access your network.

Schools are a target.

For many schools, Zero Trust seems like overkill – they’re not managing cash, valuable data or assets, so what is worth stealing?

However, schools do store a wealth of student and staff information stretching back years, which will always fetch a price on the dark web. Attackers make their money with ransomware, which locks you out of your system until you pay.

Schools that use our Zero Trust service get a system that balances protection with seamless user access for everyone – students logging in via BYOD laptops, visitors using Wi-Fi on their phones or staff members using school equipment to work with student data.

Super simple, super usable

The best part about Zero Trust is that it doesn’t impact the user experience – checks happen invisibly or through existing multifactor authentication. The user might have to input a code sent to their mobile, for example.

It makes system management much easier for schools to grant and revoke access seamlessly and control what students and staff can see, use and access at any time.

Zero Trust is a must!

As cyber-attacks grow more sophisticated, so must your protection – and Zero Trust protocols are an essential part of that, especially for BYOD schools. It’s about building more checks and giving you more control over who can access what without impacting the user experience.

The catchcry of this modern approach to network security: ‘Never trust; always verify.’

For more information about how your school could benefit from Zero Trust protocols, get in touch with the team at Isometric.