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FERPA Digital Security and Third-Party Access Audit Checklist

A specialized checklist for auditing FERPA compliance in educational institutions, focusing on digital security measures and management of third-party access to student data.

FERPA Digital Security and Third-Party Access Audit Checklist

by: audit-now
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About This Checklist

The FERPA Digital Security and Third-Party Access Audit Checklist is an essential tool for educational institutions to ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in the digital age. This checklist focuses on the critical areas of digital security measures for protecting student data and managing third-party access to educational records. As educational technology evolves, institutions face new challenges in safeguarding student information. This comprehensive audit tool helps schools assess their digital infrastructure, evaluate third-party service providers, and implement robust security protocols to maintain FERPA compliance in an increasingly interconnected educational ecosystem.

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Industry

Education

Standard

FERPA - Educational Privacy Act

Workspaces

Educational Institutions

Occupations

IT Security Specialist
Data Protection Officer
Educational Technology Director
Compliance Manager
Information Systems Auditor
1
Is the institution compliant with FERPA regulations regarding student data?
2
Does the institution have data protection policies in place?
3
Please provide documentation regarding third-party access to student data.
4
How frequently is cybersecurity training provided to staff?
5
Is there an incident response plan established for data breaches?
6
What is the average response time for data breaches in minutes?
Min: 0
Target: 30
Max: 180
7
How often are security incidents reported to the administration?
8
Describe the process for conducting post-incident reviews.
9
Does the cloud service provider have recognized security certifications?
10
What is the level of data encryption used (in bits)?
Min: 128
Target: 256
Max: 512
11
What type of access control mechanism is implemented for cloud data?
12
Please detail the incident response procedures for cloud data breaches.
13
Is the educational technology in use compliant with relevant standards?
14
Where is student data stored in relation to the educational technology used?
15
How often are user access reviews conducted for educational technology?
Min: 1
Target: 6
Max: 12
16
Describe the training provided to staff on the use of educational technology.
17
Is the student privacy policy readily available to students and parents?
18
What type of student data is collected by the institution?
19
How many data breach incidents have occurred in the last year?
Min: 0
Target: 0
Max: 100
20
Provide a description of the data retention policy in place.

FAQs

This checklist covers digital security measures, data encryption practices, access control systems, third-party service provider agreements, cloud storage security, and incident response planning for potential data breaches.

It provides guidance on evaluating cloud service providers, ensuring proper data protection agreements are in place, and implementing necessary security controls for cloud-based educational platforms.

The audit should involve IT security specialists, data protection officers, technology procurement staff, and legal counsel familiar with both FERPA and digital privacy laws.

This audit should be conducted at least annually, with additional reviews whenever new technology systems are implemented or new third-party partnerships are formed.

Yes, the checklist includes sections on mobile device management, addressing security concerns related to accessing student data on portable devices and implementing appropriate safeguards.

Benefits of FERPA Digital Security and Third-Party Access Audit Checklist

Enhances digital security measures for protecting student data

Improves management of third-party access to educational records

Reduces risk of data breaches and unauthorized access

Ensures compliance with FERPA in digital environments

Strengthens overall cybersecurity posture of educational institutions