Does GLBA really apply to colleges?▼
Yes, for institutions that participate in federal student aid programs. The Department of Education requires those institutions to comply with the GLBA Safeguards Rule, which the FTC administers and updated with more specific requirements. That includes designating a qualified individual, conducting a written risk assessment, implementing MFA and encryption, training staff, overseeing vendors, maintaining an incident response plan and reporting to the board. GLBA compliance is reviewed as part of financial aid audits.
How is FERPA different from GLBA for us?▼
FERPA governs student education records broadly: who can access them, when they can be disclosed and students’ rights to review them. GLBA, through the Safeguards Rule, focuses on protecting the financial information you collect when administering student aid and requires a formal security program. The two overlap in practice, since financial aid records are also education records. We build controls that satisfy both, while your registrar, financial aid director and counsel own the policy decisions.
Will you replace our campus IT department?▼
No, unless you have no IT department and want us to be it. For most colleges, we work alongside the existing team. They know the faculty, the culture and the history. We add the security monitoring, patching, endpoint management and specialized skills that are hard to staff internally. You decide which responsibilities shift to us, and we document everything so your team keeps full visibility and authority over campus technology.
Can you help faculty with research data requirements?▼
Yes. Grants and contracts sometimes require protecting controlled unclassified information under NIST SP 800-171, or following specific data use agreements for health or sensitive data. Rather than imposing those controls on the whole campus, we build a scoped enclave for the research team: managed devices, MFA, encryption, logging and access limited to authorized users. Your sponsored programs office determines which projects need it, and we provide the documentation sponsors expect.
How do you handle residence hall networks?▼
We treat the residence network as untrusted, because it is. A wave of personal devices arrives each fall with unknown security. We separate residence traffic from administrative, academic and building systems, apply fair bandwidth policies and make it easy for students to connect game consoles and streaming devices without calling the help desk. The goal is a network students like that can never become a path into your ERP or donor database.
Do you support colleges outside your region?▼
Yes. Security monitoring, endpoint management, identity, cloud services and documentation all work remotely, so we support independent colleges and universities across the country. For campus projects that need hands on equipment, such as wireless upgrades in residence halls or network closet work, our engineers handle it locally near our offices or direct a vetted local technician on site while coordinating with your campus IT staff and facilities team on access and timing.
Do you provide Private Colleges & Universities IT Services in Houston and nearby areas?▼
Yes. LayerLogix is based in the Greater Houston area and delivers private colleges & universities IT services to businesses across Houston and the surrounding communities, including The Woodlands, Spring, Katy, Sugar Land, Conroe, Cypress, and Pearland. For most Houston-area clients we can be on-site the same day when something needs hands-on attention, and our help desk is available during business hours, with after-hours emergency support. Call 713-571-2390 to check coverage for your specific address.
What does Private Colleges & Universities IT Services cost for a Houston business?▼
Pricing depends on your size and what you need, so we do not publish a one-size-fits-all number — but Houston businesses generally pay a flat, predictable monthly fee rather than surprise hourly bills. We start with a free, no-obligation assessment of your current setup, then give you a clear quote in plain English with no hidden costs. That way you know exactly what you are getting and what it costs before you commit.