E-security and E-safety- why they are important to Education
E-security and
E-safety are key aspects in helping to get the balance right between allowing a
school to make the most out of technology whilst keeping pupils, staff and
school data safe.
E-security
So what is E-security and how do
I ensure my school is protected? The growth of technology, the internet
and our continued reliance on them has opened up many opportunities for schools
to take advantage of. The internet offers a wealth of resources and information
for teachers and pupils alike and the advances in technology saves schools time
and money by making day to day tasks simpler. However along with these
opportunities comes risks and e-security is about protecting against these
potential dangers.
Without investing in e-security measures
schools will leave themselves vulnerable to threats. Here is a brief summary of
some of the measures schools can put in place to protect their networks:
Antiviruses and spyware
protection
These help to protect computers and
networks against potentially harmful viruses, Trojan horses, worms and spyware.
Viruses can damage or completely erase files from your school’s network and
computers.
Spyware are programs that secretly collect
information from your computer and can also change settings on your network
without your consent. Their aim is to usually collect passwords, card numbers
and other confidential and sensitive information
Anti-virus and spyware protection packages are
available that can be put in place to run daily scans or run in the background
continually. These scans can help to identify threats, remove them and prevent
against future threats and viruses.
Firewalls
Firewall hardware or software can be used to
protect the network by acting as a barrier. Before the information coming from
the internet hits your school network the Firewall checks if the information
poses any risks and either blocks it or allows it to pass through to the
computer network. This can help protect your school against damaging viruses
and hackers.
Regular reviews of their filtering systems and
Firewall settings must be carried out by schools to make sure that
inappropriate webpages are blocked
Strong
Passwords
Using strong passwords is another way that
schools can help keep confidential information safe. There is multitude of
advice on how to create strong passwords. Microsoft recommends changing
passwords regularly, using at least 8 characters and using a variety of
characters.
Other recommendations include not using
predictable patterns, song lyrics or personal information. Instead try using
phrases that only you know and use letters and symbols to represent each word
that way you are less likely to forget it. The school should educate their
staff on the best practises on keeping passwords safe.
Back ups
To ensure that schools don’t lose
important data back-ups should be made. If harmful viruses do manage to cause
damage to the school computer network then backups can help to recover this
information. Back-ups should be carried out regularly and they can be set up to
be completed automatically.
E-safety
Along with E-security schools must also invest time and money in
E-safety.
What is
E-safety and why is it important?
Each school should have an
E-safety policy that covers not only internet technologies but also electronic
communications including Wi-Fi, mobile phones and game consoles. The internet
is an incredible resource but left unmanaged it poses risks.
Schools must educate their staff and pupils to
develop skills to help them evaluate online material in a critical way to
ensure that they keep themselves from harm. School staff must also be educated
on e-safety, through professional development sessions, to protect the pupils,
themselves and a school as a whole.
E-safety’s importance is now rated so highly
that Ofsted review schools for their e-safety policy and measures during their
inspections. A school’s e-safety policy needs to be reviewed and updated
regularly to ensure that they keep up with the ever-changing digital landscape.
It must be shared with staff, pupils and with the wider community of the school
including parents, Governors and volunteers.
There is a wealth of materials and lesson plans
out there to educate children on how to protect themselves when using Social
Media, against cyber bullying and helping them to understand their digital
footprint.
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