Catoosa Public Schools Improves Google Workspace Cybersecurity
Catoosa’s Tech Team Partners with ManagedMethods to Keep Students Safe
With about 1,800 kids and 250 staff members, Catoosa Public Schools is dedicated to creating opportunities for every student to reach their full potential.
The district has a 1:1 device policy and uses Google Workspace for Education for emailing, file sharing, and more.
And who’s responsible for protecting it? The Director of Technology, Samuel Hoch, who also leads a team of two technicians. At first glance, it might sound like they’re outnumbered. But, with ManagedMethods, they can level the playing field and protect the district from many cyber threats.
“When I found out about ManagedMethods and what their Cloud Monitor platform could do, I told the superintendent that the product does everything we’ve been missing. There was no resistance because they saw how much we needed it to protect our district.”
Samuel Hoch,
Director of Technology, Catoosa Public Schools
The Challenge
Catoosa has several cybersecurity tools in its arsenal, including web filters, firewalls, and more. However, the missing piece was cloud security.
When the district moved to Google Workspace, a few students and staff members still stored information locally on their devices. But, once it replaced MacBooks with Chromebooks, most began embracing Google Drive. The only problem? This meant Catoosa needed a way to secure cloud-based information.
In the past, he’d only know if students accessed inappropriate content if someone physically saw and reported it. Worse yet, he’d have to physically search through computers to investigate reported incidents.
After a year away, he returned to Catoosa and knew immediately he wanted to improve this process. “We needed better security,” he said. “We needed to protect kids more — not just because it’s the law, but because it’s the right thing to do.”
The Solution
Luckily, it wasn’t long before he found the ideal solution.
“When I found out about ManagedMethods and what their Cloud Monitor platform could do, I told the superintendent that the product does everything we’ve been missing, “Hoch explained. “There was no resistance because they saw how much we needed it to protect our district.”
As for the setup, Hoch said it was a “pretty doggone smooth process.”
“Implementation is so easy to do,” he added. “The platform is intuitive and the customer support team at ManagedMethods is amazing. I was so impressed.”
He also evaluated Fortinet’s web filtering tool, but it was “nowhere near the detail that Cloud Monitor provides.”
“I couldn’t go in and see where kids are logging in from, I couldn’t see signs of suicidal ideation — which I’ve done with Cloud Monitor,” he added. “We’ve literally saved a kid’s life with this product.”
“If you want a tool that can help students having difficulties emotionally, this is your product. If you want to put a lid on teachers sharing PII, this is your product. You won’t be disappointed—Cloud Monitor is 1,000% worthwhile.”
Samuel Hoch,
Director of Technology, Catoosa Public Schools
The Results
There were times in the past when teachers asked Hoch to dig deeper into student activity, but his tools were too limited. Now, he can see a larger history of what users have been doing with much more detailed insight.
“Things have changed only for the better,” he explained. “Every once in a while I learn something new that makes Cloud Monitor even more amazing. It’s such a good product.”
One of Hoch’s favorite features is the ability to see where users log in, allowing him to identify potential account takeovers. But most of all, the biggest advantage he’s noticed is the ability to scan emails and Google Drive files for safety risks. Because of this feature, he identified an at-risk student and connected them to the right resources.
“That to me proved it was worth it,” he said. Additionally, Cloud Monitor helped him reduce the amount of students communicating over different apps using their school accounts.
Given his experience, he has a few words of advice for any district thinking about implementing Cloud Monitor by ManagedMethods.
“There’s nothing to consider,” he said. “If you want a tool that can help students having difficulties emotionally, this is your product. If you want to put a lid on teachers sharing PII, this is your product. You won’t be disappointed — it was 1,000% worthwhile.”
Want to learn more about how Cloud Monitor could improve your district’s cybersecurity? Claim your free Google Workspace and/or Microsoft 365 security and safety audit today.
