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Everyone says they support education. Almost nobody staffs for it.

Education is where TriVigil started and it's still the majority of our work. We know what a board meeting sounds like, what a summer refresh cycle does to a project plan, and why "just buy the tool" has never once been the answer in a district.

52%
of U.S. districts reported a cybersecurity incident in 2025, up from 36% in 2024 and 31% in 2023.
Clever, Cybersecure 2026 Report
82%
of reporting K-12 schools experienced cyber threat impacts across an 18-month window.
CIS / MS-ISAC, 2025 K-12 Cybersecurity Report
38%
of higher-ed ransomware attacks were stopped before encryption. In lower education it was 67%.
Sophos, State of Ransomware in Education 2025
Why schools get hit

Some of the most sensitive data in the country, defended by three people who also fix projectors.

A district holds social security numbers, health records, family financial data, and years of behavioral history on minors. On a criminal market that's worth considerably more than most corporate data, and the team defending it is usually smaller than the front office.

Data that stays valuable

A stolen credit card is dead in a week. A child's identity is clean until they apply for their first loan, which is why student records sell for a premium and why breaches in education keep paying off years later.

Nobody owns cyber

In most districts, security sits with someone whose title says something else entirely. When the person accountable for a breach is also responsible for the network, the help desk, and the one-to-one program, something gets dropped.

Vendors are the back door

Vendor-related incidents in districts climbed from 4% in 2023 to 32% in 2025. Your SIS, your assessment platform, your transportation software. Each integration hands you a risk decision that somebody else made.

What we do for schools

Built around your calendar, your board, and your budget cycle.

K-12 DISTRICTS

Districts & charter schools

Risk assessments that give a superintendent something to take to the board. Policy that survives an audit. Training your staff will actually sit through. And a security leader on call when the ransom note appears on a Sunday.

  • FERPA and CIPA alignment
  • Student data privacy review
  • Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 hardening
  • Board-ready reporting
  • E-Rate application support
HIGHER EDUCATION

Colleges & universities

Higher ed carries an open network, a research portfolio, and a compliance load that spans four or five frameworks at once. We work alongside your existing IT organization rather than around it, and we're comfortable in front of a cabinet.

  • HECVAT completion and review
  • CMMC readiness for research contracts
  • GLBA and FTC Safeguards for financial aid
  • Penetration testing and red team exercises
WHEN IT'S URGENT

Transitions & incidents

Two moments bring most districts to us: the security leader just left, or something has already happened. We can hold the seat while you hire, and we can stand beside you through disclosure, insurance, and the rebuild.

  • Interim CISO and CIO coverage
  • Incident response and containment
  • Insurance and legal coordination
  • Communications support for families and staff
Funding

E-Rate, and what those numbers really mean.

TriVigil is an approved E-Rate vendor. What follows is the real shape of the program rather than the version that shows up in marketing emails.

E-Rate uses a discount matrix based on your National School Lunch Program eligibility and whether you're urban or rural. It runs from 20% up to 90%. Only applicants at 75–100% NSLP eligibility reach the 90% figure you see quoted everywhere. A suburban district with low NSLP eligibility might land at 20–40%. We'll tell you where you sit before you spend time on an application.
The Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot committed $200 million over three years. Participants were selected in January 2025 and the Form 471 window closed on 15 September 2025, so it is not open to new applicants right now. Funding waves are still being released to selected participants. If you're in the Pilot, we can help you use the commitment. If you aren't, we'll focus on what is actually available to you.
Depending on your state and situation: state cybersecurity grant programs, Homeland Security grant pass-throughs, general fund technology allocations, and in some cases bond language that already covers infrastructure security. Part of our job in the first conversation is working out which of these you're eligible for before we scope anything.
We help with the forms, the technical scope, and the documentation your consultant or business office needs. We don't replace your E-Rate consultant if you have one, and we work fine alongside them.

The unexpected loss of our IT Director was more than just a vacancy; it felt like losing a friend and a vital member of our community. In those moments of vulnerability, we realized we needed more than just a service provider; we needed a trusted partner. That's when we turned to TriVigil.

Brent KoontzSuperintendent, Pioneer-Pleasant Vale Schools

Bring us your hardest question.

Board asking about ransomware? Auditor flagged your policies? Cyber insurance renewal looming? Start with a free consultation and we'll work through it together.