Reduce Your Risk of Cyber Attacks With MFA: It's Easier Than You Think

From July 2023 to December 2024, a staggering 82% of US K-12 schools were victims of cyberattacks.

Most of those attacks were successful because attackers gained access through weak or stolen passwords. The impacts ranged from grade tampering to ransomware attacks that cripple districts for weeks.

But here’s the good news: you can take one simple step to drastically reduce your school’s risk.

Implementing strong Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a proven defense against these growing threats, and your ClassLink subscription includes a variety of MFA options (plus additional tools to simplify managing MFA)—all at no extra cost.

Why MFA Can't Wait

MFA isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore—it’s essential. Here’s why:

• Zero Trust: MFA is a cornerstone of CISA's Zero Trust security model, which is increasingly becoming the gold standard for protecting schools.‍
• Insurance Requirements: If your cybersecurity insurance carrier hasn’t already required it, they probably will soon.‍
• Summer Break = Minimal Disruption: The summer is the perfect time to roll out MFA, minimizing disruption while strengthening your defenses.

MFA Options to Meet Your Needs

We get it—your team is busy. You don’t want to complicate things. That’s why ClassLink offers MFA options to meet a variety of scenarios at no additional cost–all supported by easy-to-use management tools:

• Recommended for Admins:
  
  • Duo Push
  • Mobile Authenticator App
  • Yubikey/Fob
• Student-Friendly Options:
  
  • Image-based MFA (students select a familiar image)*
  • 6-digit PIN

*Best reserved for the youngest students and individuals with disabilities

Start With Admins

We recommend starting with ClassLink Admins—the people who control access to sensitive data. From there, you can expand MFA to staff and eventually students. This layered approach lets you protect your school’s most important accounts first, without overwhelming your IT team.

Overcome Common Barriers

We know the thought of implementing MFA can seem overwhelming. But here’s how ClassLink helps you overcome some of the most common barriers to implementing MFA.

• Forgotten Devices? No Problem. ClassLink Admins can reset MFA methods, impersonate users, and even print QuickCards for instant access.
  • If you're an AD-connected client you can also choose to bypass MFA for devices on a trusted IP range.
  • ClassLink also integrates with Duo MFA, which allows you to share hardware tokens or a pin that expires after 24 hours.‍
• What About Younger Students and No Cell-Phone Policies? No worries. We offer no-phone options like image-based MFA and PINs—perfect for even the youngest learners.‍
• Need to protect high-risk apps like your SIS or HR system? ClassLink MFA is also available for non-global apps on the LaunchPad. Which means you can still require MFA when users try to open these locally-managed apps, giving you more granular control over where and how you enforce MFA.‍
• Not ready for full deployment? No problem. You can roll out MFA gradually—start with people who have the access to the most sensitive data like admins. Then, expand to staff and students as needed.‍
• Already Using Google or Microsoft MFA? ClassLink works alongside existing MFA solutions. You get flexibility and security, no matter what system you’ve already put in place.

Manage MFA With Ease

ClassLink also includes these security tools designed to enhance MFA, track login activity, and empower your team to stay ahead of potential threats:

• Security Center: Configure MFA, set policies, and apply conditional access rules.‍
• Audit Logs: Track MFA usage and see who’s logging in, and when.‍
• Security Roles: Let helpdesk staff and building admins assist users—without compromising security.‍
• Self-Service Password Reset: Allow students to securely reset their passwords, with or without MFA enabled.
  

Stronger Security, No Extra Cost

The reality is that cyberattacks aren’t slowing down, and your school’s data is at risk. ClassLink MFA is one of the simplest and most effective ways to significantly improve your cybersecurity posture—and it’s included with your ClassLink subscription.

Start Today

• Explore our Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) article
• Take the 4.2 Security Options (CMC Settings) ClassLink Academy Training
• Visit our MFA Solutions page

(Note: You must be logged in to ClassLink to access support and training resources)

Let’s make your school’s digital environment safer—today.