Cloud Monitor Gives Burlington School District a Big Cybersecurity and Safety Boost – Source: securityboulevard.com

Early Cloud Monitor adopter uses real-time insights to stop VPN abuse, detect threats, and protect learning

As the Technology Director for Burlington School District RE-6J in rural eastern Colorado, Russell Lindenschmidt is responsible for overseeing all things tech-related for the district’s three schools. With approximately 700 students and an IT team of one, managing cybersecurity and student safety across the district’s Google Workspace and online activity presents challenges that are unique to school districts.

“We were among the first K–12 customers to start using Cloud Monitor, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. It keeps our Google Workspace environment safe and secure, and it saves me a lot of time and headaches.”

— Russell Lindenschmidt, Technology Director, Burlington School District RE-6J

“We were one of the first K–12 customers to start using Cloud Monitor, and I’ve stuck with it ever since,” says Russell. “It keeps our Google environment safe and secure, while saving me a lot of time and headaches.” 

For a small district like Burlington, Cloud Monitor’s ease of use and powerful insights have made it a vital part of the district’s cybersecurity and safety tech stack.

Challenges

Before Cloud Monitor, one of Russell’s biggest issues was simply that you don’t know what you don’t know. Back in 2018, Google security wasn’t on most K-12 tech directors’ radar. 

“We knew we had problems such as personally identifiable information being shared improperly, both inside and outside of the district, and student behavior issues in Google Docs, for example,” Russell recalls. “But, we were trying to use Google Admin console to try to wrangle it all, and it just wasn’t very effective.”

“Cloud Monitor is instrumental in helping us figure out which kids are using VPNs fairly quickly and easily. I can tell a student, ‘You installed this VPN on your Chromebook,’ and show them the evidence. That usually puts a stop to it.”

— Russell Lindenschmidt, Technology Director, Burlington School District RE-6J

Russell was also concerned about student safety risks in Google Workspace, such as bullying, inappropriate content, and mental health issues. As a small rural district, Burlington may not have the same volume of issues as a larger district, but that doesn’t mean risks don’t exist.

“We need to be proactive rather than reactive,” he says. “Before Cloud Monitor, we didn’t have insight into what students were doing in Google Docs or Slides. Now we can see that and stay ahead of issues.”

When Russell learned about ManagedMethods at a Colorado education-focused conference, he came to realize that there was a solution that would help him “tighten the ship” when it came to improving security in Google Workspace.

Results

Since implementing Cloud Monitor, Burlington School District has significantly improved its ability to detect and respond to concerning activity. “One of the best features is how Cloud Monitor flags high-risk behavior,” Russell explains. “It gives me peace of mind that if a student types something that could be concerning—whether it’s bullying or self-harm—I’m going to be alerted.”

One of the current challenges that Cloud Monitor helps Russell mitigate is likely familiar to every K-12 tech team: students using VPNs to get around the school’s web content filter.

“It’s amazing how creative students can be when trying to get around our systems,” he explains. “Cloud Monitor has been instrumental in helping us figure out which kids are using VPNs,” Russell says. By monitoring device and app activity, he can pinpoint usage patterns and take action. “I can tell a student, ‘You installed this VPN on your Chromebook,’ and show them the evidence. That usually puts a stop to it.”

“Just do the demo, it’s low pressure and casual. Cloud Monitor is very user-friendly and saves me a lot of time. It has saved us many times, and I would recommend it to anyone.”

— Russell Lindenschmidt, Technology Director, Burlington School District RE-6J

Recently, he had an incident where one student forgot to log out of a shared computer. Another student changed their password and sent inappropriate messages to elementary school students. “Using Cloud Monitor, we could fairly easily prove that it was a specific student—not the student whose account was being used—who logged in from another location and sent threatening content.”

For a small rural district with limited resources, the ability to act quickly based on actionable insights is crucial. “Cloud Monitor is very user-friendly,” Russell says. “I don’t have to dig through a bunch of settings to find what I need. I get alerts, I can investigate right away, and I know what’s going on.”

Cloud Monitor has become an essential part of Burlington’s technology strategy, helping Russell ensure a safe, secure digital learning environment. “Just do the demo. It’s low pressure and casual. Cloud Monitor has saved us many times, and I would recommend it to anyone.”K-12 technology teams. “If you’re in a district with limited resources, give it a try and see if it fits,” he advises. “It’s a game-changer for managing Google security efficiently and effectively. I wouldn’t want to go without it.”

Want to learn more about how Cloud Monitor and Content Filter can improve your school’s cybersecurity and safety? Claim your free Google Workspace and/or Microsoft 365 security and safety audit today.

Original Post URL: https://securityboulevard.com/2025/04/cloud-monitor-gives-burlington-school-district-a-big-cybersecurity-and-safety-boost/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cloud-monitor-gives-burlington-school-district-a-big-cybersecurity-and-safety-boost

Category & Tags: Security Bloggers Network,Cloud Monitor,Colorado,Customer Stories,Customer Success Stories,Google Workspace – Security Bloggers Network,Cloud Monitor,Colorado,Customer Stories,Customer Success Stories,Google Workspace

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