​How Companies Respond to Allegations About Student Data Privacy

WATCHDOG: Like many other parents, Tony Porterfield is concerned about how schools and companies protect his children’s data. Unlike many other parents, he’s also an engineer at Cisco with a knack for finding how software works. After calling out Edmodo’s lackluster security protocols, Porterfield returns to The New York Times with a red flag for Raz-Kids.com, whose unencrypted logins leave student data vulnerable.

This time, he’s joined by other “edsec” watchers concerned that privacy and security often take a backseat when it comes to edtech product development. The spotlight has led companies including ClassDojo, Coursera and Pearson to beef up their systems. “We hope to see regular [security] audits become standard practice across our industry,” ClassDojo co-founder, Liam Don told The New York Times.