How an Ohio district uses Cloud Monitor to gain visibility, prevent risk, and stay prepared in Google Workspace

Morgan Local Schools is located in rural McConnelsville, Ohio, serving about 1,600 students and 250 staff. With limited home internet access throughout the community, the district relies heavily on shared device carts and Google Workspace to keep students learning. 

In this environment, visibility and security are essential—and challenging. That responsibility falls largely on Jeff Voytko, the district’s data manager, who, in reality, functions as a systems administrator, network helper, and more. “Generally, if it connects to the internet, it’s on my plate,” Jeff explains.

“Cloud Monitor has been a pretty darn good one-stop shop for us. Instead of juggling multiple tools, we have one place to see what’s happening in Google, lock things down when needed, and save a lot of time in the process. It’s absolutely worth the investment.”

— Jeff Voytko, Data Manager, Morgan Local Schools

Morgan Local Schools first adopted ManagedMethods’ Cloud Monitor in early 2024. After their former IT director, who initiated the purchase, left the district, Jeff and his colleague Jeremy began digging deeper into the platform. What they discovered transformed the way they protect both staff and students in Google Workspace. 

As Jeff puts it, Cloud Monitor quickly proved to be “a pretty darn good one-stop shop” for safeguarding the district’s Google environment.

Challenges

Before Cloud Monitor, Jeff and Jeremy had little visibility into what students and staff stored or shared in Google Drive. They also didn’t know whether their users’ accounts were being misused. They relied on limited tools that couldn’t expose risky content, data loss, or compromised accounts. “We didn’t have any way to live monitor what students have in their Google Drives, and what they’re sharing around,” Jeff says.

“Cloud Monitor is easy to use, it makes sense, and it lets us take action quickly without adding more work to our day.”

— Jeff Voytko, Data Manager, Morgan Local Schools

Email security was also a serious, ongoing issue as the district receives frequent phishing attempts. Like most districts, they were also constantly dealing with students experimenting with VPNs to try to get around web filters and other safety controls. 

“Thankfully, we haven’t had to deal with our worst-case scenarios yet, but Cloud Monitor gives us confidence that we’re ready,” explains Jeff. “A lot of what it has shown us is potential risk, and I’d rather know about that now and be prepared than after it becomes a real problem. It’s opening doors for things we haven’t had to deal with yet, but now we know we can.”

Results

Today, Cloud Monitor is central to Morgan Local Schools’ Google security and student safety workflow. What began for Jeff as a simple spam-removal tool is now a critical system for uncovering hidden risks, monitoring account activity, and safeguarding the entire district. “Once we were able to dive in a little bit more freely, it really opened the door to what we were able to lock down and restrict,” Jeff says.

Searching and retracting phishing emails is now fast and precise, allowing Jeff to contain incidents that used to spread unchecked. “Being able to search by the keyword or by the compromised email account has been really helpful,” he explains. Cloud Monitor also flags third-party applications that staff or students sign into with their school accounts, helping Jeff revoke access and reduce exposure to adult content or risky software.

“Thankfully, we haven’t had a lot of worst-case incidents—and I hope we never do. Cloud Monitor puts us in a much better position to see risks in our Google environment before they become a huge issue, and prepare for when something happens. It gives us visibility we didn’t have before and the confidence that we’re prepared.”

— Jeff Voytko, Data Manager, Morgan Local Schools

For Jeff, one of the biggest benefits is Cloud Monitor’s ability to prevent data loss and reduce liability when staff accidentally overshare sensitive content. During a performance assessment call with his ManagedMethods customer success team, Jeff learned that staff members were storing highly sensitive personal data in the district’s Google Drive. He used Cloud Monitor to discover personal identifiable information (PII), including credit card details, Social Security cards, and even tax returns saved in staff Drives. “In that call, we really unbuttoned a whole new world of what it was able to do,” he says.

Cloud Monitor also strengthens student safety by alerting the team to threatening or harmful content in Drive and Gmail, giving the administrative team immediate visibility into activity they couldn’t access before. The platform serves as the district’s digital hall monitor, always monitoring but never intrusive.

Jeff now recommends Cloud Monitor to other school technology teams. He especially appreciates that it consolidates many security and safety controls into a single system. “It’s definitely worth it,” he says. “Instead of needing five different products, you just have one pane of glass with different tabs, and you’re good to go.”
For Morgan Local Schools, Cloud Monitor isn’t just a tool—it’s a safeguard, a simplifier, and a vital partner in protecting students and staff. For Jeff, it’s a platform he trusts deeply as the district’s needs evolve.

Want to learn more about improving your district’s cybersecurity, student safety, and classroom engagement?

Get started with your free Google Workspace and/or Microsoft 365 security and safety audit today.

The post Google Security & Safety: Why Cloud Monitor is Worth the Investment at Morgan Local Schools appeared first on ManagedMethods Cybersecurity, Safety & Compliance for K-12.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from ManagedMethods Cybersecurity, Safety & Compliance for K-12 authored by Katie Fritchen. Read the original post at: https://managedmethods.com/blog/customer-story-k12-morgan-local-schools-oh/