ICT Security in Schools

ICT Security in schools

Protecting schools against threats that could jeopardise data integrity, personal information or the operating environment is at the forefront of TTS managed services support. Threats are monitored, and tools are maintained and in line with best practise standards.

Overview

Without diving into specifics for individual sites, here are three facts about ICT security across schools:

No system is hack-proof and disaster could strike at any time. However, there are three tiers to responding to a security threat: prevention, mitigation, recovery.

1. Prevention

Each school staff member has access to critical data, such as cloud services and SMS, which makes them vulnerable to malicious attempts to gain access to school systems. These break ins might be used, for example, to access school bank accounts and payroll, or to access or delete private student information.

It is important that schools have an ICT user policy in place, and educate staff against:

2. Mitigation

Should a user’s failure to comply with security recommendations lead to a breach, best practice standards would recommend mitigation systems should be in place to minimise the destruction. This would include a proactive maintenance schedule and continued monitoring and adjusting based on environment variables and recognised threats. A reactive approach for unforeseen events relies on the recovery tools identified.

Cloud platforms, like Google and Office 365, are not hack-proof. They do, however, both have layers of defence-in-depth security and geographical distributed data to protect against natural disaster or unauthorised attacks. Their biggest risk, but not the only, is a user’s failure to comply with security recommendations.

3. Recovery

Should there be a major ICT service failure, enterprise products and services are required to ensure the best chance of full recovery. Most of these products and services provide instantaneous failover, but it all boils down to a fit for purpose solution developed with risk, priority and budget in mind. 

A remarkable feature of an enterprise grade solution is that it isn’t an all-or-nothing offering. TTS can develop tools to protect only key users and the data deemed most critical for your school, thereby ensuring access to robust security for any budget.

TTS currently uses best practice standards which are managed with world leading technologies to protect our managed services schools. Please feel free to reach out if you would like any further detail or clarification. We love the opportunity to point out the unseen value we provide to our schools and invite you to engage us in a discussion at any time.

Not sure if your school security is performing at its peak?

Our team can help. Get in touch to schedule a chat with an expert who can help you understand what security flaws to look for in your school technology.

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Hi, I'm Janet

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I have been working for TTS for the past 7 years assisting schools with their technology infrastructure and digital alignment with the MoE.

Before that I was completing a Batchelors of Business with a major in Management and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, I worked in Massey University tutoring, relief lecturing, and marking in the business college while also being a director of a small software company. I also previously held roles as sales manager in the corporate world.

Within the professional learning environment, I specialise in assisting schools with strategic management, change management and leadership. These are all challenging areas that often require specific planning and implementation. Change is not only synonymous with technology but is part of the daily environment in education and embracing change can be a daunting. My goal is to assist schools to feel comfortable and accepting of necessary change.

Hi, I'm Caroline

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I have worked in Education for over 25 years in early childhood, primary, intermediate, secondary and currently at a tertiary level. During that time, I led many diverse roles including being a teacher aide, a teacher, a co-counsellor and an adult educator. I have a post-graduate diploma in Teaching as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education. In 2022, I completed a Master in Contemporary Teaching through The Mindlab.
 
Currently a lecturer in Unitec, Te Pūkenga on a foundation course for ākonga with disability and/ or neurodiversity, I had spent the last four years working in a specialist residential school for ākonga with extreme behaviours. Throughout this time, I researched, trialled and implemented trauma-informed practices to help support ākonga who had previously disengaged from education to re-engage.
 
My passion for trying to grow resilience and self-efficacy in ākonga runs alongside a passion for using digital applications/ techniques, personalised learning and gamerfication for encouraging and increasing engagement.

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I am a primary teacher of 30+ years experience covering all year levels from 1-8. I believe in “lifelong learning” and am passionate about encouraging teachers to be facilitators of their learning, and that of their students. I believe knowing when, what, why and how to implement digital tools to fit the purpose of “the teaching and learning” is essential today. I believe relationships are intrinsic in education, connecting people with tools/resources for teaching and learning, and how they support creativity, collaboration and innovation.

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Hi, I'm Steve