Student Data Privacy Tips

Given the ongoing work I have been doing in terms of advocating for better student data privacy protections, I’ve received a number of requests for tips on ways to better protect student data over the past few weeks – as remote learning has kicked in to overdrive – accompanied by parent frustration, inappropriate incidents in the virtual classroom, such as what happened in Loudoun County Virginia public schools this past week, etc.

I’ve also been asked a few times for a tip sheet on better enhancing student data privacy in conjunction with a few recent appearances on the local Fox 5 affiliate news station.

As such, I wanted to post this tip sheet for anyone who might find it useful: Online Student Privacy Tips

These tips are based not only upon my work specifically in the student data privacy field, but also pulled from work I’ve done in the law enforcement realm, working with undercover FBI and US Secret Service agents, as well as with analysts from my time as privacy office in the intelligence community.

I hope they’re helpful. And to the extent people have other helpful tips not on my tip list, I’d love to hear from you.

Joel Schwarz

Joel Schwarz is Managing Partner with the Schwarz Group LLC and an adjunct professor at Albany Law School, teaching courses on cybercrime, cybersecurity and privacy. He previously served as the Civil Liberties and Privacy Officer (CLPO) for the National Counterterrorism Center and was a cybercrime prosecutor for the Justice Dept. and N.Y. State Attorney General’s Office. Joel frequently speaks and writes on privacy matters (to include student data privacy and privacy in Education Technology), is a member of the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC) and is Privacy & Security Vice-Chair of the Montgomery County PTA’s Safe-Tech Committee.