About the Network

Ironclad Security

Knowing how sensitive student information records are, SchoolMessenger CommSuite takes security very seriously, treating the data as if it were our own. Besides all the security features described here, a third-party auditing firm performs extensive quarterly security reviews.

Unsurpassed transport encryption

All session information, including uploads of sensitive information like phone numbers and email addresses, are done using 256-bit SSL encryption certified by VeriSign - the trusted industry leader in secure certificate authentication services. All sensitive data is encrypted in the database.

Configurable password protections

SchoolMessenger CommSuite helps minimize the chance that a user's account can be compromised by automatically preventing users from creating passwords that can be easily guessed (e.g. too similar to the username, or lacking a combination of letters/numbers, etc). Further, the application allows system administrators to set the minimum password length, and control the number of invalid login attempts before the account is locked out or disabled.

Access Control

Web access to SchoolMessenger CommSuite is controlled by user name and password, while phone access uses user ID and PIN.

Password storage

Did you know that some web-hosted services store passwords using only two-way encryption, and many simply store them as plain text? That means that anyone with direct access to the database could also have access to user passwords. Since most people use the same password for a variety of services and accounts, those services can leave them vulnerable. SchoolMessenger CommSuite stores all passwords using an irreversible one-way hash algorithm. Passwords can be verified but can never be read.

Access policies

Administrators can assign authorization levels to each user to control access to data and functionality. Database access policies are tightly controlled and regular security audits are performed to ensure that only authorized company personnel have appropriate system access to perform necessary functions.

Double layer firewall protection

Why two firewalls? Using two redundant firewalls from two independent industry-leading manufacturers provides double the protection and ensures high availability. A security flaw in one firewall layer doesn't compromise the system - or your data

Firewall characteristics

Not all firewalls are made alike. SchoolMessenger CommSuite firewalls include

Integrated Deep Inspection for application-level attack protection for our Internet-facing protocols, applied on a per-policy basis
High-availability capabilities to minimize the potential for a single point of failure
Denial of service protection to protect against both internal and external attacks
Dynamic routing support to reduce reliance on manual intervention to establish a new route in the event of failure

Independent databases for each customer account

Some web-hosted services store all customer information in a single database. In that configuration, there is a chance that compromised security with one customer's account can affect other accounts. By isolating each customer's information in its own dedicated and secure database, SchoolMessenger CommSuite further ensures that sensitive information is protected.

Protection at the application level through security profiles

In addition to the extensive security measures described here, SchoolMessenger CommSuite is built on a security-profiles model. The rights of each profile-type - whether it be System Administrator, District Administrator, School Administrator, or one of an unlimited number of profiles that the District wishes created - are highly configurable. Profiles regulate access to areas of the system, rights for adding/editing/viewing records based on record type, determine the ability to perform emergency notifications and otherwise govern user rights to dozens of aspects of the system. This means that each user sees only the data and options they are allowed to see - providing additional assurance that your system is not compromised.