Education Platform Illuminate Must Improve Security After Student Data Failures

The Federal Trade Commission has finalized an order against Illuminate Education Inc., a company that provides software to schools. The FTC found that the company failed to properly secure student personal data, leading to a major security incident. Illuminate must now implement stronger data security, collect less information, and delete unnecessary data. If your child attends a school that uses Illuminate Education software, their personal information may have been at risk due to poor security practices. The company will now be required to improve how it protects student data going forward.

Here is what you should do right now:

1. Contact your child's school and ask if they use Illuminate Education software or services. Ask what student information is shared with this company.
2. Request information about what data the school collects and how long they keep it. Under the new order, Illuminate must limit what they collect and delete information they do not need.
3. Review your school's privacy policies and ask how they vet third-party companies that access student data.
4. Watch for any unusual activity or communications that reference your child's school information. This case shows that schools often share student data with outside companies, and not all of them protect it properly. You have the right to ask your school what information they share and with whom. Make it a habit to review privacy notices at the beginning of each school year and attend school board meetings where technology decisions are discussed. Your involvement helps ensure schools choose vendors that take student privacy seriously.