Security
The security blanket Peter Kenny on the importance of cyber-security Not addressing cyber-security with children is akin to leaving your child unattended at home or in the classroom, unsupervised with the door ajar and a sign on the door reading “Child alone”. As educators we understand that children require physical and emotional security. Children crave security and, in loco parentis, we strive to provide and sustain it. Yet we rarely address this directly in our teaching with young children, or evaluate our success and failure in providing security as educators and institutions. Security as an issue dominates media and dictates our lives, from personal protection to trans-national trade and foreign policy. Security pervades life and, as such, has direct relevance to curriculum and school operations. Personal, home, family, national and international security can, and should, be a recurring issue and element in our planning. How best to teach and how best to assess? Beginning with our profiles and the values we espouse, security should sit in our mission statements and be a central feature when providing education from early years through to teacher training. You are in the Cloud What is the Cloud? If, like millions of educators and parents, you struggle to understand what this ‘Cloud’ is, then simply think of the power grid. Instead of generating your own electricity, you are connected to the grid. It’s convenient and efficient, but you are reliant on an external provider for your electricity. The Cloud is simply delivering computer Spring
Autumn |
| 2016
services (storage, programs, software) via the Internet. Files and software once stored on your own computer can now be accessed through “the Cloud”. This service is provided without the user knowing where the data are stored and who controls the data. If you and your school use social media, apps and mobile technology, you are in the Cloud. The term “Cloud” is misleading and leads to misunderstanding. The “Cloud” really means data centre. Warehouses now store the data, software and services you once held on your hard drive. The Cloud reduces costs and provides convenience and access for our educational communities. Educators and schools are no longer limited by hard drive space or the need to manage and maintain their own servers on site. However, the rigour of security at these data centres ranges from poor to adequate. So, what Cloud companies are you using? What happens if your Cloud company changes ownership? What security do they provide for your data if you stop paying? Who controls or has access to the Cloud company? Where is the data centre located? These are the questions we must be asking to take control of our security. (See Yahoo explains the Cloud: www.yahoo. com/katiecouric/now-i-get-it-cloud-computing-the-cloudweve-all-123378579448.html) School apps, Facebook pages, Twitter, parent portals and websites effectively put your and your child’s information in the public domain. What are the implications? In many schools we actively promote and provide children with device access, internet-based reading programs, digital portfolios and social media pages. We aim to equip children with digital skills to
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