Welcome to the October edition of the Digital Download - your ICT specific information from the Ministry of Education
Cyber Smart Week
This week is Cyber Smart Week, which is a great opportunity to review the security practices you have in place at your school and make your school cyber smart. There are two key actions all staff can do to help your school's security.
- Long passwords
The easiest thing staff can do to make a big difference to your school's environment is to make sure they have long and unique passwords for each account. Longer passwords are more important than complexity - as long as they're not repeated. Using a password manager is the easiest way to make sure your passwords are all long and different, and it means you don't need to remember them!
- Enable two-factor authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication on your systems for all staff is a great way to make sure you’re protecting your students’ information. It's an extra layer of security that an attacker has to get through, even if they have your password. We recommend adding it for all staff to your key systems
We have a range of webinars to show you how to enable 2FA, mandate password policies, and improve your security posture in your Google Workspace or Microsoft M365.
Cyber security training videos will be available soon.
Google Admin Workshop: Learn how to manage your school Google Account
Google is running a fully funded, day-long workshop where you will learn how to manage your school's Google account.
If you are the person who manages the admin console or want to understand what can be done to effectively manage your school account, then this is the workshop for you. This training will empower you with the skills and knowledge to protect your school's digital world.
You will learn how to
- safeguard your data,
- outsmart cyber threats,
- navigate the online landscape with confidence.
Sessions will run in Wellington on 18 November and Auckland 20 November. The workshops will be facilitated both in person and online at the same time, so please register and attend remotely if you cannot attend in person.
Microsoft Teams and CoPilot: New policy for voice and face enrolment defaulting to 'on'
From mid-January 2025 Microsoft will introduce a new policy, csTeamsAIPolicy, to replace the current csTeamsMeetingPolicy. The AI settings, used by CoPilot, will be moved to the new policy, and enabled (defaulting to ‘on’). It will create a profile for enrolled AI users and store their profile with biometric data in the same region as their Teams Data. Note: this is different to Windows Hello where the biometric data is stored locally on your device. We recommend you turn this setting off, unless you have adequately configured this new policy, especially if you do not want to store any biometric data online.
Read more information about this change: Overview of voice and face enrolment - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
ST4S: additional digital products added to the ST4S catalogue
Just a quick update to let you know that the ST4S catalogue continues to grow! Schools and kura now have self-service access to the assessment reports for 130 badged products, with a further 100+ reports now available on request.
As schools increasingly rely on digital products for both learning and administration, ensuring the privacy and security of student data has become more critical than ever. Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) helps schools and kura confidently select safer and more secure products.
ST4S provides a comprehensive, independent assessment of educational digital products, ensuring they meet standards for data privacy and security. Through the ST4S online portal, schools can access reports on how various digital tools perform against key security standards. The currently available reports cover a wide range of categories, from learning tools to administrative systems.
For schools, using ST4S-badged products means saving time while ensuring that the products they choose align with best practices in student data protection. Principals and administrators can rely on ST4S reports to make informed decisions, reducing the complexity of reviewing privacy and security risks on their own.
As part of the Ministry’s Cyber Security and Digital Support programme, ST4S plays a vital role in strengthening digital safety in schools. By choosing ST4S-assessed products, schools contribute to a safer digital learning environment, helping protect students from emerging cyber threats.
Online safety and web filtering
Online safety is a team effort and it’s crucial to understand the role different groups play in protecting ākonga in the digital world. To support schools and kura in this effort, Network for Learning (N4L) has developed a guide that outlines the different roles regarding online safety, which also includes a practical checklist to help you review Web Filtering at your school or kura.
It’s important to remember no filtering solution can be 100% effective in preventing access to inappropriate content, and the strength of the settings for your school are determined by what you’ve asked N4L to apply. If you’d like to review your school’s Web Filtering settings, you can reach out to N4L’s Customer Support team on 0800 LEARNING (0800 532 764) or email [email protected]
Tip of the Month: Google Map listings
Some schools have been renamed worldwide on Google Maps to prank titles, including several schools in New Zealand. If an organisation’s listing online isn’t claimed, any Google user can suggest a change. If this happens, you can 'suggest a change' to edit the name back, which make take a couple of days. To prevent this, claim your school’s listing on Google Maps.
How to add or claim your Business Profile on Google - Google Business Profile Help
Mōhiohio anō
More information
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