The ABC of securing classroom technology Safety & Security


be exposed to teaching and learning using technology, securing the continuity of the digital classroom is becoming a pressing priority.


Counting the cost


Replacing IT assets lost through theft or damage equates to significant resource erosion for schools, and that’s before you consider the knock on costs in relation to insurance premiums.


W


ith budgets under pressure and learning continuity under threat, physically securing ICT assets is becoming a classroom priority, explains Stephen Hoare, European Marketing Director at Kensington. “The sad reality is that with the arrival of the ‘digital classroom’, schools are becoming prime targets for theft. Items like netbooks, laptops and iPads – and even peripherals such as keyboards and mice – are small, light and easily removed from buildings if effective security measures are not in place.


The aftermath of a theft can represent significant classroom downtime for pupils, alongside the loss of valuable teacher resources in the form of lesson plans and interactive learning presentations.


With nearly half of all schools anticipating that by 2014 more than 50% of pupil time will


Theft can also result in the loss of sensitive pupil data. If this pupil data is not encrypted, schools can face a penalty of up to £500,000 for a breach of the Data Protection Act.


The ABC of smarter security


With just a few simple steps, schools can do a lot to ensure their digital classroom assets are protected from targeted or opportunistic theft: • Don’t promote the latest hot technology buys on your school website, in the local media or on your social media feeds – the delivery of new kit could make you a target.


• Subcontractors – including IT support personnel – should have their credentials thoroughly checked before gaining access.


• Ensure teachers are aware of the school’s ICT security policy and of the need to encrypt data on their devices. Guidelines on how to physically secure these devices in the classroom, public school areas, on the way to


and from school and at home should also be provided.


• Laptop locks are your first line of defence against equipment and data theft. IT administrators can maintain master access across multiple rooms, floors and buildings making it easy to control multiple devices from a single location.


• Locking stations and desk mounted cable anchor points are a great way of securing desktop items like an iMac or laptop to a desk or table and protecting wired keyboards and mice from theft too.


• When tablets are left unattended in a busy environment, locking portable folio cases make it possible to hold a tablet up ready for use, and in just moments click-locked onto a security anchor to prevent removal. An added benefit is that these support flip down capability for faster typing and private browsing, but protect a tablet from bumps and scratches.


There are a number of low cost physical devices available today that can prove invaluable to protecting computer assets by securing them against theft. Prevention is always better than curing loss, and dealing with the repercussions of ICT theft can prove costly in a number of ways for schools.”


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