Data Protection

ClassLink's New DataGuard Tool 'Masks' PII in Roster Data Shared with Vendors

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 04/24/23

Identity and access management provider ClassLink has launched a new tool called DataGuard designed to reduce the amount of sensitive private data shared by schools with ed tech vendors, according to a news release.

Many school districts routinely share class roster data with the ed tech platforms used within classrooms, and that frequently includes Personally Identifiable Information. DataGuard enables IT and technology implementation managers to limit the amount of sensitive data shared by dynamically replacing “key PII fields with meaningless letter scrambles before sending data to a vendor through roster server,” ClassLink said.

"When it comes to sharing student and staff PII data with vendors, less is better. DataGuard allows schools to take control of the data they share with vendors, minimizing security risks,” said ClassLink Chief Technology Officer Stanley Watts.

DataGuard is “best suited for rostered applications that require collecting PII data but don't necessarily need it,” the company said. 

Learn more at ClassLink.com/dataguard.