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"The fact that I have not had a single complaint about Virtru in the entire time we've had it—not one from my end users or the recipients—is huge."
Chris Hafner
Systems Engineer
Brewster Academy stands as a trailblazer in educational technology—the world's first one-to-one laptop school since 1993. As a private international boarding high school in New Hampshire with expanding global operations, Brewster handles sensitive student information daily while acting as legal guardians for their students. With three decades of digital learning experience, they needed a security solution that could match their forward-thinking approach without compromising usability. In Virtru, they found the perfect balance.
With Virtru, Brewster Academy can:
Simplify secure communication with Virtru for Google Workspace — providing a frictionless email encryption experience for staff sending sensitive information and for parents, healthcare providers, and partners receiving it.
Maintain compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, and other regulations while handling medical records, financial data, and student information across international boundaries.
Focus on user experience rather than security workarounds, eliminating complaints and ensuring sensitive information is properly protected rather than shared through unsecured channels.
When your school has been putting laptops in students' hands since 1993, you've seen the entire evolution of educational technology unfold in real-time.
"Brewster Academy is the world's first one-to-one laptop school. We've been one-to-one with our students since 1993, so this is our 32nd year," explains Chris Hafner, Systems Engineer at Brewster Academy. "We've spent enough time going through every type of technology you can imagine, every type of deployment, every type of management, every type of different security discussion I think any school has ever had technologically ever."
This extensive experience has given Brewster a unique perspective on educational technology. While many schools are just beginning to grapple with digital learning challenges, Brewster has already refined its approach over decades. "We spend more time on user experience, I think, than anybody would pay attention to simply accomplishing whatever task it is we've probably figured out decades ago," Hafner notes.
As legal guardians for many of their students, Brewster manages a vast array of personally identifiable information, from medical records to financial documents and visa paperwork. This responsibility creates complex compliance requirements spanning HIPAA, FERPA, and numerous state regulations.
Before implementing Virtru for Gmail, Brewster Academy struggled with an encryption solution that met technical security requirements but failed the usability test: Zix
"While the product did what it was supposed to do and was very secure, it was very difficult to use and the end-user experience was awful," Hafner recalls. "We used to spend a lot of time making marketing materials about how to make that experience with that product better."
This poor user experience had real consequences. Parents struggled to access vital information, healthcare providers faced frustrating barriers during communications, and Brewster staff spent valuable time troubleshooting rather than focusing on education.
Brewster needed a security solution that aligned with their pioneering spirit in digital education—something that protected sensitive information without creating barriers.
Brewster discovered Virtru after receiving encrypted emails from other educational institutions using the platform. The difference in experience was immediately apparent.
"We had received a couple of Virtru encrypted emails from other schools that we'd worked with, and the experience was great," says Hafner. As a Google school, Brewster appreciated Virtru's seamless integration with their existing infrastructure.
The implementation process was straightforward, with Brewster taking a targeted approach by deploying Virtru to specific departments and individuals handling sensitive information. This strategic implementation allowed them to address their most critical security needs while maintaining operational efficiency.
The impact of switching to Virtru was immediate and dramatic.
"Any of the parent complaints went away," Hafner explains. "The only thing that we've ever had to do with anyone that we're sending these to is just make sure they're aware they need a Google account, and it's been fantastic."
For Brewster, the most remarkable achievement has been Virtru's perfect track record of user satisfaction: "The fact that I have not had a single complaint about Virtru in the entire time we've had it—not one from my end users or the recipients—is huge."
This improved user experience isn't just about convenience; it directly impacts security effectiveness. As Hafner points out, "From a strict security standpoint, the best user experience is the one that's going to be used more. You've got a good experience, people aren't going around it. People aren't going to try sending things in a way that they shouldn't."
When COVID-19 forced schools worldwide to rapidly transition to remote learning, Brewster Academy was already prepared.
"While COVID was horrible and the experience that I think most places had was a bad one, we did have our board of trustees come to us and say, 'Hey, by the way, we're not coming back for March break in 2020. We need to run globally. What do we need to do to make that happen? Here's a blank check.' And we handed it back and said, 'No, we're ready to go.'"
Virtru's seamless encryption played a key role in this readiness, helping facilitate the additional documentation and communication requirements during this challenging period. "There was a lot of extra documentation and a lot of extra things at that point. And so we did have a wider usage of Virtru at that point," Hafner notes.
With new campuses in Spain and potential future expansions, Brewster is navigating differing privacy regulations across borders. "We're kind of letting them navigate a little bit of that first in some of the other platforms that we have before they start getting into encrypted email," Hafner explains regarding their international operations.
Brewster is also exploring Virtru's Secure Share capability as a potential replacement for Dropbox. "There's a number of things that we're hoping to enter into with the secure file share that don't hit that same level of legal requirement to be encrypted but we have our own business reasons for making sure that we're securely sending financial documentation back and forth."
Their satisfaction with Virtru has led to a renewed commitment: "We're going to be jumping back into a three-year contract here because we know that it's going to be something that we're going to always need to keep using. It’s an experience that's been good—we don't see any competition right now kind of offering the same end user experience."
When asked what he would tell others considering email encryption solutions, Hafner's answer is straightforward: "It's the one that your customers are going to actually enjoy using... It is security that somebody will actually use. When your security is difficult to use, people don't use it. And it comes down to that—that's the most important part of the entire process."
For Brewster Academy, pioneering digital education since 1993, finding security that enhances rather than hinders the educational experience is essential to their mission. With Virtru, they've found a partner that shares their commitment to innovation, usability, and security—ensuring the protection of student information without sacrificing the exceptional experience that makes Brewster unique.
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