Keeping Student Data Safer with GAT Labs’ COPPA & FERPA Compliance

Celebrating GAT Labs’ COPPA & FERPA Compliance 🎉

Great news! GAT+ (including GAT Unlock), GAT Flow, and GAT Shield have earned iKeepSafe COPPA Safe Harbor and FERPA certifications. GAT Labs also maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance.

For schools using Google Workspace for Education, these certifications provide additional assurance that the certified GAT Labs solutions have been independently assessed against recognized requirements for student data privacy and protection.

From this post, you’ll learn:

• What these data protection regulations (COPPA, FERPA, and SOC 2) require
• How does this compliance impact your school
• How GAT Labs can support your student data protection

What is COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998)

COPPA is a U.S. federal law designed to protect the online privacy of children under 13. The COPPA Rule applies to covered operators of websites and online services that collect personal information from children.

In an educational setting, schools may provide consent on behalf of parents in certain circumstances when an online service collects student information solely for a school-authorized educational purpose. Schools should carefully evaluate how EdTech providers collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect student information.

What is FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

FERPA is a U.S. federal law that protects the privacy of student education records at educational agencies and institutions that receive applicable funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

It gives parents certain rights regarding their children’s education records, including the right to access records, request corrections, and control certain disclosures of personally identifiable information. These rights transfer to the student when they turn 18 or attend a postsecondary institution.

What is SOC 2 (Systems and Organization Controls 2)

SOC 2 is a compliance standard created by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). It indicates how organizations should safeguard customer (school) data from unauthorized access and security risks. 

The SOC 2 Type II report describes how efficiently the organization’s systems handle sensitive information in the cloud. The compliance report is customized to each organization’s needs and evaluates trust services criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. 

Why COPPA & FERPA Compliance Matters for Student Data Management Services

Before entrusting sensitive data to external edtech providers, educational institutions should research their privacy standards. 

The stakeholders who are compliant with COPPA, FERPA, and SOC 2:

1. Are firmly committed to creating a secure data environment for all customers.
2. Maintain secure systems and controls continuously, with data integrity and security as a priority for user identity management.
3. Ensure robust children’s online data privacy, protecting them from the harmful behavior of bad individuals and inappropriate content.
4. Require parental consent to collect personal data from children under 13 years old and inform parents if they share collected data with third parties.
5. Monitor student online activity for suspicious activity to prevent data breaches and other cybersecurity risks.
6. Provide solutions and policies to restrict access to sensitive data stored in the school domain to authorized users only.
7. Safeguard student data integrity, keeping personal information accurate and storing it only in the school system for educational purposes.

Supporting Student Data Protection with GAT Labs

Protecting student information requires schools to understand how data is accessed, shared, and managed across their digital environment.

GAT+, including GAT Unlock, GAT Flow, and GAT Shield, have earned COPPA and FERPA certifications. Together, these solutions give Google Workspace for Education administrators tools to audit their environment, manage users and data, automate administrative processes, and monitor activity on managed Chrome browsers and Chromebooks.

Here’s how each solution supports school IT teams:

1. GAT+

It’s an incomparably comprehensive management and security solution that offers full auditing and bulk management capabilities across Drive, email, apps, classrooms, calendars, groups, contacts, and devices.

School admins gain detailed insights into user activity and data security, enhancing productivity and safety. The platform includes content-based search, alerts, and actions, ensuring swift responses to issues. 

With real-time alerts, automated reports, and compliance support, GAT+ empowers IT teams to manage permissions and track changes efficiently.

2. GAT Flow

It’s an innovative automation solution that provides comprehensive automation across the school domain, making it the most comprehensive tool for onboarding, offboarding, and bulk modifications. 

GAT Flow includes extensive Security Officer and Delegated Auditor functions, enabling non-super admin staff to perform audit and routine tasks. With its unparalleled capabilities, GAT Flow enhances productivity and security.

3. GAT Shield

GAT Shield is an advanced security solution for Chrome browsers and Chromebooks that provides detailed insights into cloud activities such as site visits, downloads, and extensions.

This tool protects students from cyberbullying and ensures safe online learning. It offers real-time monitoring and control, allowing admins to block downloads or close pages with sensitive material. 

This proactive approach secures browsing and protects data, empowering educational institutions to uphold strong security standards and support a safe, productive online experience for students and staff.

Secure Schools, Safe Students with GAT Labs

GAT Labs helps schools strengthen data security, student protection, access management, and compliance monitoring across Google Workspace for Education.

Give your IT team the visibility and controls needed to better protect sensitive student information.

Contact our team now to see our features in practice. Book a demo or request a free 15-day trial today and discover how easy sensitive data management can be.