Schools and universities must balance open collaboration with robust data protection. Offset Security shields student records, financial systems, and research IP from sophisticated threat actors.
Open networks, high user turnover, constrained IT budgets, and enormous data density make educational institutions ideal ransomware targets with predictably high payment rates.
Thousands of student and visitor personal devices connect daily to the primary network without enterprise-grade security controls. These devices introduce persistent footholds, unpatched vulnerabilities, and credential harvesting vectors that remain active long after users leave the institution.
FAFSA databases, banking routing details, and tuition payment gateways hold high-value financial records that enable immediate fraud. Social Security numbers tied to financial aid accounts command premium prices on dark web markets targeting student identities.
Proprietary scientific studies and patent-pending technologies developed in university labs represent high-value intelligence targets. Nation-state actors specifically exploit the open academic network culture to exfiltrate federally funded research and competitive IP.
Educational institutions navigate federal, state, and accreditation-level privacy requirements simultaneously. Our programs are built to address all of them from day one.
We build programs that scale from single-campus K-12 districts to multi-campus university systems - without requiring a full-time CISO or dedicated security staff.
Continuous monitoring across student and faculty endpoints, administrative systems, and research networks. Student device behavioral analytics, orphaned account detection, and ransomware containment capability that stops lateral movement before it reaches backup systems. Mean time to contain: under 9 minutes.
Fractional CISO who owns your information security program - FERPA and GLBA compliance mapping, Board of Education reporting, annual risk assessments, and policy library maintenance. Delivers the designated security officer function required by the GLBA Safeguards Rule for institutions receiving federal student aid.
Phishing simulation programs designed for the education environment - separate campaigns for faculty, administrative staff, and IT staff. Scenario libraries cover credential harvesting via student portal lookalikes, financial aid fraud lures, and W-2 wire fraud targeting HR and payroll staff. 72% average click-rate reduction.
GLBA-required annual pen testing - external network, student/faculty portals, and application layer testing. FERPA data flow mapping and access control review. Research network segmentation assessment. Full documentation package for accreditor, auditor, and insurance submission requirements.