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Higher Education

Higher Education Identity & Security

Research universities and multi-institution academic systems face an identity challenge unlike any other sector: dozens of schools, teaching hospitals, research labs, and affiliated entities — each with its own authoritative directory, user population, and access policies. We deploy virtual directory technology and identity governance to create a unified identity fabric that preserves institutional autonomy while enabling cross-entity federation, Shibboleth integration, and FERPA compliance.

Industry Challenges

Key Challenges in Higher Education

The identity and security challenges that define this industry — and the problems we solve for our clients.

01

Disparate Authoritative Sources

Each school, hospital, and research center maintains its own HR system, student information system, and directory. No single authoritative source exists for identity — creating duplicate accounts, inconsistent attributes, and ungovernable access.

02

No Centralized Directory

Without a unified directory layer, cross-institution collaboration is impossible to govern. Faculty with appointments at multiple schools, researchers with hospital affiliations, and shared service accounts create identity chaos.

03

Shibboleth Federation

Academic institutions rely on Shibboleth and InCommon federation for inter-institutional resource access. Identity infrastructure must integrate with these federation frameworks while supporting modern OIDC-based applications.

04

FERPA Compliance at Scale

Student educational records demand strict access governance under FERPA. Identity systems must enforce role-based access controls that prevent unauthorized disclosure across shared university platforms and research systems.

What We Deliver

Our Higher Education Capabilities

Every capability is grounded in production deployments within higher education environments — not theoretical frameworks or vendor slide decks.

  • Radiant Logic VDS deployment creating a unified identity fabric across all institutions
  • SailPoint IIQ governance with institution-specific delegation and certification campaigns
  • AD/ADFS consolidation and modernization across university directory infrastructure
  • Shibboleth and InCommon federation integration with modern identity providers
  • FERPA-compliant access governance with automated certification and audit reporting

Compliance & Regulatory Frameworks

FERPA HIPAA (teaching hospitals) NIST 800-171 (research) FISMA (federal grants)

Technology Partners

Radiant Logic VDS SailPoint IIQ AD/ADFS Shibboleth InCommon Federation
Proven Results

Featured Higher Education Engagements

Measurable outcomes from real higher education deployments — not hypothetical scenarios.

Higher Education

Ivy League Research University

Unified identity across 16 institutions and 11 schools into a single virtual directory — enabling cross-entity federation and governance without migrating any source directory.

16

Institutions Unified

11

Schools Consolidated

20 wks

Delivery Timeline

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Let's Solve Your Higher Education Identity Challenges

Our principal architects have deployed identity solutions in production higher education environments. Bring us your hardest problem — we will map the architecture and timeline.

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