Notre Dame High School: Network Segmentation, Server & Cloud Security, and CIPA/FERPA Compliance Case Study

The challenge

Notre Dame High School is a 1,200-student college-preparatory school in Sherman Oaks with a busy, device-heavy campus — students, faculty, administrators, guests, and a growing fleet of devices all depending on the same infrastructure. As the school grew, its network and systems needed to catch up with both modern security expectations and the compliance requirements that come with educating minors.

• A flat, unsegmented networkStudents, faculty, administrative staff, guests, and devices all shared one flat network — a real security and performance risk on a busy campus.
• Aging, under-secured serversOn-premise file and student-information-system (SIS) servers lacked hardening, isolation, and consistent patching.
• Cloud platforms not fully securedMicrosoft 365 and Google Workspace were in use without multi-factor authentication or hardened security configuration.
• Content filtering and CIPA gapsWeb content filtering — required for CIPA and tied to E-rate eligibility — was not fully in place.
• Student-records privacy (FERPA) exposureAccess controls around student records needed tightening to protect data and support FERPA obligations.
• No enterprise endpoint securityThe device fleet had no managed EDR/MDR for centralized threat detection and response.
• Reactive IT supportThere was no 24/7 monitoring or proactive managed IT keeping the campus ahead of issues.

The solution

Advanced Networks rebuilt the foundation — segmenting the network, hardening servers and cloud, and aligning the school to K-12 compliance requirements, all under fully managed IT and security. Explore our K-12 school IT services in Los Angeles.

Network segmentation

We redesigned the network into separate VLANs — isolating student devices, faculty and administrative systems, the SIS, guest Wi-Fi, and IoT and security cameras — with enforced firewall rules between them. See our network design and integration work.

Server security & hardening

We patched and hardened the school’s servers, isolated the SIS and file servers behind segmentation, and deployed managed EDR across the environment.

Cloud security (Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace)

We secured the school’s cloud platforms with multi-factor authentication, hardened configuration, and ongoing monitoring across staff and student accounts.

CIPA-compliant content filtering

We implemented web content filtering that meets CIPA requirements and supports the school’s E-rate eligibility, protecting students online.

FERPA-aligned access controls

We tightened access controls around student records so sensitive data is only available to the right people, supporting the school’s FERPA obligations.

Managed security & full managed IT

We wrapped everything in managed EDR/MDR, 24/7 monitoring, and full managed IT with a dedicated Technical Account Manager who knows the campus.

The major projects

The results

• A fully segmented network isolating student, faculty, guest, and IoT traffic
• CIPA-compliant content filtering supporting the school’s E-rate eligibility
• FERPA-aligned access controls protecting student records
• Hardened servers and secured cloud with MFA across staff and student accounts
• 99.9% uptime with 24/7 monitoring and a dedicated managed IT team