Clever’s latest report reveals growing challenges in safeguarding K-12 student digital identities, as traditional security measures prove impractical for younger learners amid rising cybersecurity threats
Clever, the identity platform used by more than 77% of U.S. K-12 schools to simplify and secure digital learning, today released their Cybersecure 2025 Report, an annual survey examining how schools are balancing innovation and security while protecting student digital identities.
The report, based on a comprehensive survey of over 500 US-based K-12 administrators, reveals that while schools have made significant progress in protecting staff accounts, student digital identity protection continues to present unique challenges, with only 5% of school systems implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for students.
The challenge is particularly acute for our youngest learners in school systems. Five-year-olds entering kindergarten rely entirely on schools to protect their digital footprints. Schools must ensure all students can learn and grow in a technically secure environment, alongside feeling physically and emotionally safe in their classrooms. And because traditional security measures like MFA often depend on personal devices or complex passwords, these solutions aren’t practical for students who are just learning to read – a challenge that is compounded by growing cellphone bans that are posed to impact MFA for older students as well.
“When I presented the statistics on daily attacks to district leaders, eyes went wide—people didn’t realize the scale of what we face every day,” said Neal Kellogg, Director of Digital Procurement and Data Privacy at Oklahoma City Public Schools. “Cybersecurity is a team sport. All it takes is one person clicking the wrong thing, and it can exponentially blow up in our faces.” Key findings from the report include:
- Most School Systems Lack Confidence in Current Protections for Student Digital Identities: Only 24% of administrators express high confidence in their ability to protect student digital identities, indicating room for growth in student account protection strategies.
- Internal Security Threats Rise Alongside External Attacks: 29% of school systems report increases in student-to-student security incidents, highlighting the need for comprehensive security approaches.
- AI Security Risks Are Outpacing School System Safeguards: While 70% of administrators identify AI as a growing security consideration, 9% currently have formal vetting procedures for AI in edtech products.
- Amidst Cell Phone Bans, Student Security Requires Different Solutions: as 60% of school systems are moving to restrict student phones, K-12 leaders must develop authentication approaches without depending on personal devices.
“Digital learning is here to stay. Schools have a tough balance to strike between security and accessibility,” said Trish Sparks, CEO of Clever. “Schools must navigate protecting student identities while enabling technology as a powerful learning tool. Our report sheds light on how we can better support them in both.”
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