As a registrar, administrator or IT leader at a college or university, you’re balancing a lot, including student success, compliance, technology upgrades and tight budgets. But one issue that cannot be pushed to the bottom of your list is data security.
With challenges such as Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) delays and a rise in ransomware attacks, higher education faces growing threats. Unfortunately, many legacy systems are not equipped to handle these demands.
At Campus Cafe, we have built a modern student information system, or SIS, that complies with the strictest U.S. security regulations and simplifies both compliance and protection even for small teams.
Cyberattacks Are Hitting Campuses Hard
U.S. colleges are experiencing a high rate of cyberattacks, with more than 2,500 incidents reported each week. In just one year, ransomware attacks in higher education have increased by 70 percent. The average data breach now costs about $3.7 million, not including the loss of trust and reputational harm that often follows.
The reason behind this vulnerability is clear. Colleges and universities store large volumes of personal and financial data but often lack the modern security infrastructure needed to stop today’s advanced threats.
Compliance Is Not Optional. It Is the Law.
Colleges in the United States must comply with a growing number of privacy and cybersecurity regulations that protect sensitive data. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, governs student record privacy. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, or GLBA, focuses on protecting financial information and meeting Title IV requirements.
Beyond federal laws, colleges must also comply with state-level privacy regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, the California Privacy Rights Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act.
If your institution accepts students from the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, also applies. This regulation protects the personal data of EU residents.
Failure to comply with these laws can result in more than just fines. It can also threaten federal funding and institutional accreditation.
Campus Cafe Is Built for Compliance and Security
Campus Cafe is built to support data security in higher ed, helping schools meet legal requirements without the need for a large IT department.
The platform includes integrated single sign-on for secure user access, role-based access controls to limit data exposure and encryption for data both in transit and at rest. These features help ensure that information remains protected throughout its lifecycle.
Our system supports compliance with both federal and state laws and meets GDPR standards for international students. It also includes prebuilt reporting tools that make audits and financial aid reviews more efficient.
Campus Cafe’s cloud-based platform is easy to use for teams of any size. It eliminates the need for manual software patching through automatic updates and its intuitive interface reduces the amount of training required for staff.
Steps Toward Implementing Data Security in Higher Ed
Start by reviewing your current SIS to determine whether it is actively updated and whether you can control access to sensitive data. Next, assess your risk by identifying student data that may be exposed to third-party vendors. Finally, provide regular training for your staff, as human error is responsible for more than 95 percent of all data breaches.
Campus Cafe can streamline all of these processes within a single platform, removing the need for multiple disconnected tools.
The Bottom Line
Colleges and universities are under increasing pressure from cyber threats and the financial stakes are rising. At the same time, compliance requirements such as FERPA, GLBA and various state laws are expanding. Campus Cafe provides robust protections for institutions while keeping compliance management simple and intuitive. The system is built and hosted in the United States, backed by local support and a deep understanding of regulatory standards.
Ready to see how Campus Cafe can protect your campus and simplify compliance? Request a demo today.
