BY SPIRION
April 28, 2025
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is designed to protect student education records and personally identifiable information (PII). Schools, universities, and other educational institutions must ensure that student data is securely stored, properly classified, and accessible only to authorized individuals. Many institutions assume that Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions are enough to comply with FERPA, but DLP alone does not meet all regulatory requirements.
FERPA compliance requires comprehensive data discovery, classification, and access control measures that go beyond what DLP can provide. This article explores the limitations of DLP in meeting FERPA requirements and how Spirion’s automated data security solutions help educational institutions achieve compliance.
Understanding FERPA’s Data Protection Requirements
FERPA enforces strict regulations to protect student education records and PII. The key data security provisions include:
- Access Control – Schools must restrict access to student records to only those with a legitimate educational interest.
- Right to Review and Amend – Students and parents have the right to request access to and corrections of student records.
- Data Retention and Deletion – Institutions must manage how long student data is stored and properly dispose of records when no longer needed.
- Data Sharing and Disclosure Restrictions – Schools must have proper controls on how student data is shared with third parties.
To meet these requirements, educational institutions must have complete visibility into where student data resides, how it is used, and who has access.
Why DLP Alone Is Not Enough for FERPA Compliance
DLP solutions focus on monitoring and blocking unauthorized data transfers, but FERPA compliance demands a broader approach to data discovery, classification, and lifecycle management. Here’s where DLP falls short:
1. DLP Cannot Identify or Classify Student Records
FERPA compliance starts with knowing where student data is stored. DLP solutions only monitor data in motion and do not provide visibility into student records stored in databases, learning management systems, or cloud storage.
Risk: Without automated discovery, institutions may fail to protect sensitive student data at rest, increasing the risk of non-compliance.
2. DLP Does Not Facilitate Student or Parent Data Requests
Under FERPA, students and parents can request access to their educational records. DLP solutions do not provide a way to search, retrieve, or amend specific student records across multiple systems.
Risk: Schools that rely solely on DLP may struggle to fulfill access or amendment requests within the required timeframe, leading to compliance violations.
3. DLP Does Not Control Access to Student Records
FERPA requires strict access controls and audit trails to ensure that only authorized personnel can view student records. While DLP may block data transfers, it does not enforce role-based access controls (RBAC) or track user activity.
Risk: Without proper access management, institutions may expose student records to unauthorized users, leading to FERPA violations.
4. DLP Does Not Address Data Retention or Secure Deletion
FERPA requires institutions to properly manage the retention and disposal of student data. DLP solutions do not provide automated data retention policies or secure deletion mechanisms.
Risk: Schools may retain student records longer than necessary or fail to properly delete outdated records, leading to potential security risks.
5. DLP Generates False Positives, Leading to Compliance Fatigue
DLP solutions frequently flag non-sensitive data as violations, leading to false positives and alert fatigue for security teams.
Risk: Security administrators may overlook real risks due to excessive alerts, increasing the likelihood of data breaches and non-compliance.
How Spirion Bridges the FERPA Compliance Gap
Adding Spirion to your DLP provides proactive data discovery, classification, and remediation, enabling educational institutions to comply with FERPA more effectively.
- Automated Student Data Discovery: Locates student records across learning management systems, databases, and cloud storage.
- Context-Aware Classification: Tags and labels PII, transcripts, and other student data to ensure proper handling.
- Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC): Helps schools restrict access to student records based on user roles and permissions.
- Audit-Ready Compliance Reporting: Generates actionable compliance reports to track access, data usage, and retention policies.
- Automated Data Retention & Deletion: Ensures institutions follow FERPA’s data lifecycle management requirements.
DLP Alone Cannot Ensure FERPA Compliance
DLP is useful for preventing unauthorized data transfers, but it does not provide the data discovery, access control, classification, and retention capabilities required for full FERPA compliance. Institutions that rely solely on DLP risk non-compliance, security breaches, and loss of student trust.
With Spirion’s automated student data discovery, classification, and access management, educational institutions can secure student records, reduce compliance risks, and ensure full FERPA adherence. To learn how Spirion can enhance your FERPA compliance strategy, request a demo today.
