United Educators - Data Security Suite

Company: United Educators, Bethesda, MD
Company Description: For more than 30 years, United Educators (UE) has protected educational institutions with our liability coverage, targeted risk management resources and expert claims handling. All UE members have access to EduRisk®, an extensive suite of risk management resources, including multimedia learning courses, created to help prevent bad things from occurring on school campuses.
Nomination Category: New Product & Service Categories - Education
Nomination Sub Category: Professional Learning Solution for Education

Nomination Title: United Educators - Data Security Suite

In a recent survey of UE’s member institutions, Data Security was listed as one of the most pressing concerns. As the number of attempted data breaches at educational institutions continues to rise, the need for training is more crucial than ever. UE has created a suite of data security courses designed to increase awareness of the threats that faculty and staff face online, an approach that has been proven to mitigate the consequences of any breaches.

Following the mishaps of Joe, a fictional and well-meaning (yet blundering) school administrator, UE introduces its learners to a variety of cyber security issues that they need to be aware of, with topics including Malware, Phishing, Passwords, Physical Security and Unintended Disclosures, and Mobile Devices and Third-Party Websites. Each module focuses on ways to keep institution digital information safe and free of hackers and other bad actors.

Each course follows the exploits of Joe as he navigates his way through a variety of common cyber security mistakes that people often make. Whether accidentally posting a picture of his computer password in the background of a selfie, or releasing a campus-wide virus by plugging an unfamiliar flash drive into his computer, Joe’s mistakes highlight the importance of remaining both careful and vigilant when venturing into the online world.

Featuring engaging, real-world scenarios and skillfully designed animations, each module in the Data Security suite sees Joe encountering new cyber security issues, factoring in a less-than-perfect grasp of his institution’s data policies. As learners advance, they can use Joe’s mistakes as a cautionary tale while they gain the correct knowledge to protect themselves, their electronic devices, and their institution’s sensitive data. At the end of each module, learners see Joe make the same journey, stepping back and implementing the same lessons to arrive at the best outcome.

The modules are designed for all employees to better understand their role in protecting their institution’s digital information. By the end of the learning program, learners will be equipped to handle a wide variety of data security issues, including recognizing and reporting phishing emails, identifying different types of malware, setting strong and unique passwords, and being mindful of how they store and share sensitive data and information.

Since being rolled out, the Data Security courses have seen almost 37,000 learners, helping administrators across institutions to protect their sensitive data. Through learner feedback, the course has been praised as interactive, practical and real. Learners find it accessible, well-paced and easy to understand, with entertaining presentations and several situations that many hadn’t considered.

In bullet-list form, briefly summarize up to ten (10) of the chief features and benefits of the nominated product or service:

- Addresses pressing concern of Data Security, featuring modules about malware, phishing, safe passwords, unintended disclosures, and safe mobile browsing
- Based on concerns of UE member institutions
- Engaging, real-world scenarios
- Skillfully designed animations
- 37,000 learners
- Accessible, well-paced, easy to understand
- Short, concise, clean, direct