How can I ensure I store data properly on school equipment?
As part of your job, you might need to store sensitive electronic data - such as exam papers or personal information about students - on a computer, so it pays to know that your data is safe and secure.
There are a number of ways you can store electronic data, including on your computer’s hard drive, CDs, memory cards and USB sticks.
One advantage of CDs, memory cards and USB sticks is that they are portable and compact, letting you move your data from one computer to another easily and quickly. The downside is that these devices can be easily misplaced or lost.
Recognising the security risks, some schools prevent teachers and other staff from storing sensitive data on portable devices such as USB sticks. Others discourage it, unless the devices in question are encrypted.
As a general rule, sensitive data should only be stored on the school network - if you take it off the school premises and it falls into the wrong hands, you could face disciplinary action.
Acknowledging that teachers might need access to school data when they are offsite - to prepare a lesson from home, for example – some schools have introduced managed (or virtual) learning environments, which let you log on to a secure server and access school data remotely.
Your school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) should cover data storage issues such as:
- How to set up a password that no-one will guess; not sharing your password with anyone; and logging out at the end of each session.
- How often the school updates its anti-virus software.
- How often you should back up your work.
- Whether you can store information about your students, your school or yourself on portable storage devices (some schools might not allow this).
- How to make the most of third party encryption software to encrypt data.
Where can I find out more?