Fukushima City Board of Education Implements Cybertrust Device Certificate Management to Build Secure School Environments

Cybertrust Japan Co., Ltd. (HQ: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Yuji Kitamura) announces that the Fukushima City Board of Education has introduced the device certificate management service 'Cybertrust Device ID' to strengthen security for its teacher-oriented Chromebook environment. This implementation realizes robust access control including multi-factor authentication, as specified in the 'Guidelines on Educational Information Security Policy' set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

### Background of Implementation
In 2025, the Fukushima City Board of Education distributed Chromebooks to all teachers and transitioned to a cloud-based work environment to promote DX and enhance security. To enable the use of Windows applications, they considered providing two devices (a Chromebook for teaching and a Windows PC for office work) or utilizing VDI via VMware. Ultimately, they chose Windows 365 Cloud PC for its balance of security, usability, and cost. This created a new challenge: controlling access so that Windows 365 could only be used from Chromebooks managed by the Board of Education. Furthermore, they sought an environment that could be operated smoothly without increasing the burden on teachers while maintaining high security.

### Process of Implementation
To address these issues, F-com Co., Ltd. (HQ: Koriyama, Fukushima; President: Masahiro Saito), which supports the ICT environment of the Fukushima City Board of Education, began researching solutions for MFA and terminal restriction. After comparing several products, they selected 'Device ID' due to its clear track record with Chromebooks and its ability to meet MEXT's security guidelines while keeping operational loads low.

'Device ID' is a service that prevents unauthorized access by distributing device certificates only to permitted terminals. Certificates are managed in a way that they cannot be exported, preventing copies to unmanaged devices. A key factor in the adoption was the ability to automatically distribute certificates triggered by a Google account login on Chromebooks, requiring no action from the users.

### Implementation Effects
For the rollout, 1,650 Device ID licenses were procured and installed remotely without having to recall the Chromebooks already distributed to teachers. The deployment was completed solely through administrator operations, resulting in a smooth transition with almost no inquiries from teachers.

Key benefits achieved include:
- Access control for virtual machines (Windows OS) limited only to managed terminals.
- Robust access control via MFA and terminal authentication in line with MEXT guidelines.
- A secure environment for location-free work, fostering a safe and easy-to-work-in atmosphere for teachers.

This has allowed the Fukushima City Board of Education to balance security and convenience for safe school operations.

### Future Outlook
In educational settings, there is a growing need for work environments that are secure yet flexible in location, from the perspectives of DX promotion and work-style reform. The Fukushima City Board of Education plans to continue developing ICT environments that support teacher efficiency while ensuring security.

### About Cybertrust Device ID
'Cybertrust Device ID' is a service that enables strict terminal authentication by verifying terminal identification information and registering device certificates only on terminals permitted by the administrator. It supports a wide range of devices, including Windows, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, and Chromebook. By ensuring certificates reach the correct devices and allowing only those devices to access the target network, it prevents unauthorized access and builds a safe environment for service usage.