Recent high-profile breaches underscore the risk of exposing sensitive information to millions of users’ data, reminding us that our education system, as part of our nation’s critical infrastructure, is a prime target for attackers. Just as personal hygiene prevents illness and promotes health, cyber hygiene helps prevent data breaches, identity theft, and other forms of cybercrime.
Working in education, we handle sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) on a regular basis. We have an important responsibility to uphold and promote the highest data security standards: our customers and their students depend on it.
Along with formalized standards like NIST and ISO, we also use the most up-to-date information available regarding recent breaches and other cyber incidents to guide best practices.
5 Key Cyber Hygiene Practices for Schools and Districts
Protecting sensitive data starts with simple, actionable steps. Here are five essential practices every school and district should follow to strengthen their cybersecurity and reduce risk.
1. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Passwords alone are no longer enough. 2FA adds a critical layer of protection.
Two-factor authentication strengthens security by requiring a password and a second verification step. This extra layer makes it much harder for attackers to access accounts, even if passwords are compromised.
Common forms of 2FA include:
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Verification codes sent to a mobile device
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Biometric scans, such as fingerprints or facial recognition
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Physical security tokens that generate temporary codes
While 2FA was once considered optional, it is now considered an essential access control practice. Attackers have more tools than ever to break or bypass passwords, so relying on passwords alone is risky.
At Aeries, 2FA is easy to enable and highly recommended.
We encourage all users to adopt this feature to better protect sensitive information. For those who have not yet enabled 2FA, now is the time. We also welcome feedback from our users on their experience with setting up and using 2FA.
2. Perform Regular Permissions Audits
Prevent unauthorized access by reviewing who has access—and why.
Over time, users change roles, join new projects, or leave your organization. Without regular audits, permissions can quickly become outdated and introduce unnecessary risk. This is often referred to as “privilege creep” — when users accumulate more access than they need simply because no one has adjusted their permissions.
Regular audits help you:
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Identify unnecessary or outdated access — Remove permissions for users who no longer need them.
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Adjust access based on current roles — Ensure users only have the access required for their responsibilities.
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Reduce exposure of sensitive data — The fewer people with access, the lower the risk of misuse or breach.
Neglecting permissions reviews increases the chance of unauthorized access, either accidentally or intentionally. Make permissions audits a regular part of your cyber hygiene practices, especially when users change roles or leave your district.
3. Use Long, Memorable Passphrases Instead of Complex Passwords
Strong doesn’t have to mean complicated.
Security experts now recommend passphrases over traditional complex passwords. Passphrases are easier to remember but much harder for attackers to crack, especially with modern computing power making short or predictable passwords vulnerable.
According to NIST guidelines, strong passphrases should:
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Be between 16–64 characters long
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Use capitalization, spaces, and punctuation
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Combine random, unrelated words (Example: “Luk3Skyw@lker Saxophone Donuts Skateboard Beehive”)
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Avoid common phrases and easily guessable information
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Never be reused across different accounts
By encouraging passphrases, you help users create login credentials that are both user-friendly and secure. At Aeries, we support and promote these standards to keep sensitive education data better protected.
4. Keep Only What You Need: Minimize Data Storage
The less you store, the less you risk.
In cybersecurity, experts often say: “It’s not if a breach will happen, but when.”
While preventing breaches is critical, reducing the amount of stored data limits the potential damage if one occurs.
Holding onto unnecessary data creates a larger target for attackers. To minimize risk, implement a strong data retention strategy:
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Collect only essential data — Avoid gathering information that isn’t required for operations or compliance.
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Regularly audit stored data — Review what’s being kept and remove anything that no longer serves a clear purpose.
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Follow clear retention and destruction policies — Data that doesn’t meet retention guidelines should be securely destroyed according to documented procedures.
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Form a dedicated data retention team — Ensure data management decisions are reviewed and approved by responsible stakeholders.
By limiting what you store and promptly disposing of outdated data, you help protect your organization and reduce exposure if a breach ever occurs.
5. Train Everyone to Spot and Stop Social Engineering
Cybercriminals often target people, not systems.
Social engineering attacks rely on human psychology to trick users into revealing sensitive information or granting unauthorized access. These tactics have become more advanced and frequent, especially with the rise of AI-generated messages that look and sound legitimate.
Recent breaches show that social engineering is an effective tool for attackers. That makes user awareness and education critical to your cybersecurity defenses.
To protect your school or district:
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Educate staff, contractors, and partners regularly — Everyone with access to your systems should understand common tactics.
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Explain different types of attacks — Phishing, smishing, impersonation, and fake password reset requests are just a few examples.
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Promote immediate and cautious responses — When in doubt, users should know how to verify requests and report suspicious activity.
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Work with vendors to ensure training extends beyond your team — Partners must also prioritize security awareness to avoid becoming weak links.
Consistent, ongoing training is your best defense. When every user knows how to recognize and respond to social engineering, your organization becomes much harder to infiltrate.
Aeries Is Your Partner in Cyber Hygiene
Protecting sensitive data is a shared responsibility.
Schools and districts face growing threats from cybercriminals who target personal and student information. At Aeries, we are committed to helping you safeguard this critical data and maintain the trust of your communities.
We continually listen to the needs of schools, parents, students, and staff. As threats evolve, so do our tools, recommendations, and support. Together, we can strengthen cybersecurity practices across education.
What you can do:
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Provide your staff with regular training and professional development
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Promote good cyber hygiene habits every day
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Leverage Aeries’ built-in security features, like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
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Stay informed on emerging threats and industry best practices
By working together, we can help secure sensitive student data and ensure it stays protected.
Looking for a secure, user-friendly Student Information System? Learn more about Aeries SIS and how we help schools protect what matters most.
Want to dive deeper? Explore these additional resources: