Education Identity Management, The Experts Guide
.webp)
Every day, educational institutions host students, staff, alumni, contractors, parents, and visitors from all walks oflife. Such a volume of traffic puts a strain on resources. And that’s just yoursetting’s physical spaces – you’re guarding reams of sensitive data fromcyberattacks, too.
In this climate, schools and universities need to find a way to manage all kinds of access (who, what, when, and where). Take a lax approach to identity management (IAM) and you quickly become vulnerable to data breaches, compliance failures, and a loss of trust.
Education Identity Management needn’t be scary, though, and there are several solutions on the market that can handle everything for you. Below, we’ll explain why IAM is so important, the challenges unique to education settings, and how the IAM technologies and best practices can keep everyone – and everything – safe.
What is Education Identity Management?
Education Identity Management encompasses the policies, processes, and technologies used by educational institutions to manage account holder identities.
This includes the creation, maintenance, and termination of identities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and contractors.
Within an educational context, IAM serves a dual purpose:
1) Managing digital credentials and access rights (e.g. to learning portals and administrative systems), and
2) Protecting access to physical spaces, including dorms, storage facilities, and laboratories.
The rising importance of IAM in education
With the changing nature of education, growing risk, and an ever-increasing focus on data privacy, the need for robust IAM in education has never been greater. This is a complex issue, but there are some main factors we can point to.
Increase in cyberattacks
In Q2 of 2025, educational institutions in the USA each saw an average of 4,388 attempted attacks every week. Schools and universities are prime targets for cyber attacks because they hold a treasure trove ofvaluable data, including student records, faculty information, new research,and sensitive financial data. Breached data is held to ransom or sold to the highestbidder.
A strong IAM system ensures that onlyauthorized account holders can access this information, keeping you safe fromexpensive or damaging leaks.
Compliance
Educational institutions are bound by a long list of data privacy regulations, including:
● Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protects the privacy of student education records
● Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
● For medical schools, the HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is also a criticalconsideration
A modern IAM system is the only way to meetthese compliance mandates and ensure that your access decisions are documentedand auditable.
Online learning boom
The 2020s have been the decade of online learning, so secure remote access has become a core requirement for any educational institution. A modern IAM system enables digital learning environments, providing a secure and trusted way for students and faculty to verify their identities and access information from anywhere.
Data protection
Universities and research facilities need to protect sensitive and proprietary research data from unauthorized access. An IAM system ensures that only authorized account holders can access sensitive data, ensuring robust intellectual property protection.
Common Identity Management challenges ineducation
There are few other organizations thatexperience such an influx and outflow of new account holders every year.Amazingly, turnover is just one of the challenges faced by educationalinstitutions when it comes to identity management.
● High turnover: By their very nature,educational institutions have an exorbitantly high turnover. Every year, thestudent population changes, causing massive spikes in provisioning anddeprovisioning admin at the beginning and end of each semester. This means identity governance must be seamless andefficient.
● Multiple identity types: Schools have many different types of account holders with varying access needs. Student A needs access to specific learning platforms and labs, while faculty staff member needs access to administrative systems and research facilities. An effective IAM system manages these different identity types and their access needs with minimal manual input.
● Legacy systems: Many institutions, especiallyolder ones, use outdated IT infrastructure and disconnected access systems.These legacy systems usually lack a central identity store, making it harder toimplement a unified IAM policy.
● Maintaining ease of access: The besteducational institutions are hubs of learning and collaboration. The challengeis finding a balance between creating a welcoming environment for exchange andcreativity while maintaining a high level of security around sensitive data andfacilities.
Key IAM technologies for the education sector
With your institution’s challenges mapped out,it’s time to explore some of the key functionalities of identity management andhow they can help to plug the gaps and protect your people, spaces, and data.
● Single sign-on (SSO): This technology createsa seamless experience for students and staff, allowing them to use one set ofcredentials to access multiple learning platforms, portals, and applications.Account holders no longer need to remember multiple usernames and passwords.It’s user-friendly and more secure.
● Multi-factor authentication (MFA): MFA meansthe system asks for more than one credential to permit access, for example apassword and a fingerprint. Usually reserved for faculty staff andadministrators, it provides an extra layer of security to protect your mostsensitive systems and data.
● Role-based access control (RBAC): Thistechnology simplifies identity management by assigning access privileges basedon an account holder’s role (e.g., "Student," "Professor,"or "Administrator"). RBAC is crucial for controlling access tosensitive spaces like labs and dorms, and administrative systems.
● Integration: An integrated system combines physical access with logical access, so the same student ID card or mobile ID grants access to both digital resources and physical campus locations.
● Cloud IAM: For universities with global or decentralized campuses, a cloud-based IAM system provides scalability and flexibility. It allows for centralized identity management across all locations, ensuring consistent policies and a unified experience.
Benefits of strong Identity Management in education
As well as meeting the modern security needs of your educational institution, you can also expect these benefits once yournew IAM system is up and running. They will vary from institution toinstitution, but these are the most reported, according to our customers.
Enhanced cybersecurity
A modern IAM system is your shield against cyber-attacks. With a high level of identity assurance, you know that only authorized account holders can access sensitive information and physicalfacilities.
Better digital experiences
A seamless login experience for students and faculty is crucial for digital learning. Your account holders endure little to no login friction and get more done.
Streamlined processes
Automated IAM systems streamline the processof onboarding new students and faculty each semester, reducing administrativeworkload and improving operational efficiency. Such fast and efficientonboarding is another big win for user experience.
Improved compliance
A modern IAM system provides a verifiable, digital audit trail of all access decisions, which is crucial for meeting compliance mandates and ensuring that your institution is ready for an audit at any time.
Implementing Identity Management in education: best practices
When it’s time to implement your chosen IAM system, there are a few steps you need to follow to guarantee the best possibleoutcome for your institution.
- Audit: First thing’s first, assess your existing security systems and identify your compliance gaps. Highlight what you need your new IAM system to do to maximize your ROI.
- Centralize: You’ll want to integrate your new IAM across all physical and logical access points. This puts all security events and decisions in one place ensuring accountability and consistency.
- Automate: You can’t have a successful IAM without automation. It’s the only way to handle the high turnover of students and staff.
- Train: Your IT, admin, and security staff should be supported through the transition with training on how to use the new system. Meanwhile, security awareness campaigns spread the word to all account holders, dialling up the security of your system.
How acre security supports Identity Management in education
We have a deep appreciation for the uniqueneeds of educational institutions. Your IAM system needs to handle the constantflux in account holders, while meeting stringent compliance requirements.
As your core IAM platform, an acre system automates the entire student and faculty lifecycle from enrolment at the startof the semester to deprovisioning at graduation. We integrate with yourexisting systems, no matter their age, to provide instant, secure accountmanagement for exemplary user experience, risk mitigation and compliance.
One of our core strengths is our ability tounify physical and logical access, meaning account holders only need onecredential to access dorm, lab, virtual lecture, and online reading material.This single, cohesive, and user-friendly experience allows IT teams to focus oneducation and students to focus on learning.
Protect your institution and deliver a grade Alearning experience, get in touch with us today to discuss your identity management needs.
Best-in-class identity management
In education, identity management can feelcomplex and burdensome – but it doesn’t need to be. A modern IAM systemprotects you from cyber and physical threats, ensuring that sensitive data isprotected and security is tight. It’s your ticket to streamlined operations,compliant operations, and best-in-class protection for students and staff.
Start next semester on top of identity management, contact acre security today to learn how we can help you with your IAM implementation.
