Practical Cybersecurity Strategies Schools Can Use to Protect Teacher Accounts

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Every year around August, teachers everywhere start building their digital lives from scratch, sometimes building on what they’ve gathered over the years. New rosters go into the gradebook, parents get added to the classroom apps, and sheets go out for the fall book fair and the first field trip. Somewhere among all those logins may be a password that’s been reused too many times, even though nobody really plans it that way. It can happen easily when there are multiple platforms to log into before the bell rings, along with grades, lesson plans, and everything else a teacher has to handle. Those everyday demands can create opportunities for teacher account security issues.​

Why Teacher Accounts Are Easy Targets

One teacher account is rarely just their inbox, as it usually contains their gradebook, the application to message the parents, and some shared drive folders. Depending on the systems a school uses, a compromised account may provide access to multiple platforms or types of information, including information related to students.
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​The combination of all that is what makes teacher cybersecurity different from protecting one individual email account, as one login can potentially open multiple doors at once. When multiple school platforms and accounts contain or provide access to sensitive student information, protecting teacher credentials becomes especially important.​

The Everyday Habits That Put Credentials at Risk

Account compromises aren’t always dramatic. They can begin with someone checking their email on the classroom computer between periods, clicking a link that looks like it came from the front office, or typing a password into the wrong portal, one that looks nearly identical to the school’s legitimate login page. Reusing passwords across different websites can also increase the potential impact of compromised credentials. That’s why knowing the signs your credentials may have been stolen is worth five minutes between periods for everyone. Even homeschool co-ops and programs run into something similar to this, since so much of the coordination that happens occurs through the same scheduling and messaging apps.
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Catching the signs early and knowing what to do next will make the biggest difference, as resetting your password without following through and reporting will cause the school cybersecurity many more problems than you’d expect.

Practical Steps Schools Can Put in Place

We often think the process of setting steps in is complicated, but the reality is that a few changes to accounts and consistency are all that matters:

• Turn on multi-factor authentication for everything that allows it
• Provide the sign-up tools for volunteers and activities with a separate login instead of the same password
• Log out of any shared devices after you use them, not at the end of the day
• Use a password manager instead of a sticky note that can easily be lost
• Review which applications and platforms actually still need access at the start of each year, then remove anyone who doesn’t belong there anymore

For districts installing bigger plans, CISA has built resources that focus on cybersecurity for schools. These are specifically for K12 settings, containing training materials and the baseline to start with.

Teachers can also refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s Top 10 Cybersecurity Tips for Teachers for additional guidance on protecting accounts, devices, and sensitive information.

Making It Part of the Routine

Security is maintained best when it rides along with things the school already works on. A reminder at the first staff meeting of the year, a line in the checklist when students start the new academic semester, and a heads up before events and activities are small things that do more for the school than one training video does. A video or a manual is watched or used once and forgotten by the second month of the year.
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Teacher account protection isn’t a project that ends. Like other school safety procedures and routines, it requires ongoing attention throughout the school year.

The tools do change on a yearly basis as well, but the target never does. A login can open many doors when exploited, especially when it’s sitting on some shared desk and left unlocked. Treat login credentials with the same care you would give other sensitive information. Consistent cybersecurity practices can help reduce unnecessary risks and allow teachers to focus more of their attention on teaching.”​

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How often does your school review teacher account access?

Does your school require multi-factor authentication for staff accounts?

How many different school platforms do teachers need to access during a typical day?

What cybersecurity habit is easiest for teachers to overlook during a busy school day?

Does your school have clear steps for reporting a suspected phishing attempt or stolen credentials?
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​​Please leave your comments below.  
Your feedback is always appreciated.

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