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Security & Privacy

PBS Knowledge is designed with security and privacy at its core. This page describes how we protect your data, particularly student educational records protected under FERPA.

FERPA Compliance​

What is FERPA?​

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It applies to all schools that receive federal funding and gives students certain rights regarding their educational records.

PBS Knowledge is fully compliant with FERPA requirements for handling student data.

Your Rights Under FERPA​

As a student at Dartmouth, you have the right to:

  • Inspect your records - View your educational records maintained by the department
  • Request amendments - Ask for corrections to records you believe are inaccurate
  • Consent to disclosure - Control who can access your educational records
  • File complaints - Report violations to the U.S. Department of Education

How We Protect Student Data​

Protection MeasureDescription
Access ControlOnly you and authorized personnel can view your educational records
EncryptionSensitive data is encrypted both in transit and at rest
Audit LoggingAll access to student records is logged for compliance
AuthenticationDartmouth single sign-on (SSO) ensures secure access
Data MinimizationWe only collect and display data necessary for academic purposes

Data Categories​

We handle different types of data with appropriate levels of protection:

Highly Sensitive Data (FERPA Protected)​

This data receives the highest level of protection:

  • Grades and GPA - Your academic performance data
  • Transcripts - Official academic records
  • Degree Progress - Requirements completion status
  • Academic Plans - Your planned courses and degree path

Who can access this data?

  • You (the student)
  • Department administrators with a legitimate educational interest
  • Your assigned academic advisor

Sensitive Data​

  • Course Enrollments - What courses you're taking
  • Contact Information - Your email and student ID
  • Academic Status - Major, minor, class year

Public Data​

This information may be visible to other users:

  • Faculty Profiles - Research interests, publications, teaching
  • Course Catalog - Course descriptions and schedules
  • Research Labs - Lab descriptions and areas of study

Authentication & Access​

Dartmouth Single Sign-On​

PBS Knowledge uses Dartmouth's SAML-based single sign-on (SSO) for authentication:

  • You log in using your Dartmouth credentials
  • No separate password is needed
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is supported
  • Sessions are secured with industry-standard protocols

Role-Based Permissions​

Access to features depends on your role:

RoleWhat You Can Access
StudentYour own data, public information, relevant resources
FacultyYour profile, advisee information, course management
StaffAdministrative functions for assigned areas
AdminFull system access for department management

Data Encryption​

In Transit​

All data sent between your browser and PBS Knowledge is encrypted using:

  • TLS 1.2+ - Industry-standard transport encryption
  • HTTPS Only - Unencrypted connections are rejected

At Rest​

Sensitive data stored in our systems is encrypted:

  • Grade Data - Encrypted using AES-256 in Google Cloud Firestore
  • Backups - All backups are encrypted
  • Audit Logs - Access logs are encrypted and retained securely

Privacy Practices​

What We Don't Do​

  • No PII in Logs - Personal information is never written to application logs
  • No Third-Party Tracking - We don't use advertising or analytics trackers
  • No Data Selling - Your data is never sold to third parties
  • No Profiling - We don't create behavioral profiles or use predictive analytics

Data Retention​

  • Active Records - Maintained while you are enrolled
  • Historical Data - Retained according to Dartmouth's records retention policy
  • Audit Logs - Kept for compliance and security purposes

Requesting Your Data​

Viewing Your Records​

Log in to PBS Knowledge to view your:

  • Academic progress and degree completion status
  • Course enrollment history
  • Academic plans

Access Requests​

For records not available through the system, contact:

  • Department Administrator - For PBS-specific records
  • Registrar's Office - For official transcripts and enrollment verification
  • FERPA Officer - For formal FERPA requests

Reporting Issues​

Security Concerns​

If you discover a security vulnerability or have concerns about data protection:

  1. Immediate Issues - Contact PBS department staff
  2. Data Breach Concerns - Contact Dartmouth IT Security
  3. FERPA Violations - Contact the Registrar's Office

Privacy Questions​

For questions about how your data is used:

  • PBS Department - For system-specific questions
  • Dartmouth Privacy Office - For university-wide privacy questions

Third-Party Services​

PBS Knowledge integrates with the following services:

ServicePurposeData Shared
Dartmouth SAMLAuthenticationLogin credentials (handled by Dartmouth)
Google FirebaseSecure data storageEncrypted grade data, audit logs
OpenAlexPublication dataFaculty names (public information)

All third-party services are vetted for security and privacy compliance.

Questions?​

If you have questions about security or privacy in PBS Knowledge:

  • Review the Dartmouth FERPA Policy
  • Contact the PBS department administrator
  • Visit the Dartmouth Privacy Office website

This page was last updated: December 2025