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New Governor Resources

📢🏛️ We've published some new resources for governing bodies about data protection and cyber security.  Governors can be added to our Knowledge Bank platform as part of your subscription with us at no extra charge.

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World Backup Day

🔄☁️ Having a robust backup is being prepared against data loss and data theft.  March 31st is World Backup day to remind everyone of the importance of having a robust and accessible backup.

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Are teachers using AI? 83% say its a time-saver

🤖🕒 Most meetings we are having with schools at the moment feature conversations and questions around the use of AI by staff in  organisations.  It's clear the landscape is rapidly evolving and education may not be moving as fast, however, it does help to be prepared.

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Arbor AI - On By Default

💻 ⚠️ Arbor recently announced that it was including some AI as part of it's default configuration - some customers have raised questions about this with us.

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DfE Guidance: Choosing a new MIS

✅📃 An MIS (management information system) is a critical part of the school's day to day operations and digital infrastructure.  They can be on premise or in the cloud, which means contract terms can differ.  We highlight the latest guidance alongside what is already data protection law - you should follow this, even if you are procuring your MIS through your local authority or third party IT provider.

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Sharing photos on World Book Day: Privacy considerations

📸✅ It's World Book Day on the 6th March when most schools will be celebrating reading and capturing photos of staff and students in their costumes.   Given this is one of many significant photographic events in the calendar, we thought it was a good opportunity to remind everyone of photo and video best practice.

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HCRG Care Group data breach

Some of our customers have been affected by the data breach reported by the HCRG Care Group.  The group is currently investigating claims by a ransomware group that more than two terabytes of sensitive information has been breached.

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How to verify visitors the right way

✅🔍 We visit a lot of schools and have a lot of conversations about documentation we are asked to provide as new and returning visitors to organisations. Sometimes we don't agree with what the organisation is asking for, so we thought we'd give some clarification about regulatory requirements.

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Short Guide to AI Video

🎥🤖  Some of the organisations we are talking to are a little confused about AI, whether they should use it and if their staff already are using it or not.  We've put together a short video explaining the different types of AI, the risks and how you should start documenting your use.

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Safer Internet Day, Cyber Security & Data Protection

🛡️🔒We couldn't get through today without mentioning it's Safer Internet Day today (11th February).  And while we don't need a special day to talk about being safe online, cyber security and data protection, we welcome any chance to highlight how important they all are.

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WhatsApp and FOI's: ICO Warnings

📲💬 We come across many organisations using WhatsApp as a communication tool with staff regularly and have previously highlighted some of the risks.  The ICO have recently published information about a case where WhatsApp messages had to be included in a Freedom of Information Request.

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The role of Passkeys in Cyber Resilience and Cyber Security

🗝️🛡️ In a world where cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, protecting sensitive information and user accounts has never been more critical. Traditional passwords are rapidly being replaced by a more advanced and secure solution: passkeys. This article explores the benefits of passkeys, their role in preventing cyber attacks, and what to do if a system does not yet support them.

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ICO report on AI tools in recruitment

🤖🤖 The ICO recently published an overview reports about the use of AI tools in recruitment processes.  While it was recognised that it can offer benefits to employers, it recognises their use can also lead to risks for people and their privacy and information rights.

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Early Years Settings and Cyber Security

🧸 🚼 As digital technology continues to increase in our educational settings, Early Years settings are increasingly integrating digital tools into their operations.  While this might enhance efficiency and communication, it also raises concerns and challenges about cyber security and data protection.

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SLT Digital Lead Profile

👩🏽‍🏫👨🏽‍💻 Since we have been talking to schools and multi academy trusts about the SLT digital lead, there have been a lot of questions about who that should be in the organisation. There’s often an assumption that it should automatically be the IT Manager, technician, or Data Protection Lead.  In this article, we explore the profile of an effective SLT Digital Lead and their critical role in shaping digital strategy, integrating technology into teaching and learning,

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  1. The role of governors in cyber security and data protection
  2. DfE Digital Standards Webinars 2025
  3. Navigating Privacy at the End of Term , Special Occasions and End of Year
  4. Effectively communicating during a cyber incident
  5. Contracts Register
  6. South East Technological University has experienced a cyber incident
  7. Safeguarding Identity in Microsoft 365: Protecting the UK Education Sector Against Cyber Threats
  8. DfE Digital Standards Autumn Update
  9. The importance of knowing how to access your CCTV footage!
  10. Cyber Attack on a Special School
  11. Stealing children's data
  12. What is dark data? (and why does it matter?)
  13. Ofqual highlights the value of cyber security training in schools
  14. Searching for data when you receive a Subject Access Request
  15. Fylde Coast Academy Trust Cyber Attack This Week
  16. Calling all IT leads in schools and mult academy trusts!
  17. Ransomware cyber attack on a school in Bromley
  18. Join Our Social Media Family!
  19. School hit by Cyber Attack
  20. Cyber Security Best Practice Area
  21. DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Tracker
  22. New Policies, Documents, Letters and Posters page
  23. Schools and Trusts Best Practice Area
  24. The DPE Retention Schedule
  25. Making the Rounds Update (now includes reporting)
  26. ESFA Cyber Essentials Requirement for Colleges from 2024/2025
  27. ICO Reprimands a School
  28. How does the recent global IT outage affect me?
  29. King's speech introduces new bills in relation to cyber security, smart data and digital information
  30. Out of date technology
  31. Data Retention and the Pupil File
  32. Have you assigned your SLT Digital Lead yet?
  33. What's a Cyber Incident and what should we do?
  34. Getting Started with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  35. Cyber attack on a school during half term
  36. Free short cyber training for staff
  37. Update to the DfE Digital Cyber Security Standards for Schools and Colleges (May 2024)
  38. The rise of cyber attacks in schools are causing pupils to miss classes
  39. ICO: Learning from the mistakes of others report
  40. Children's mental health data leaked after a cyber attack
  41. Cyber attack on a Trust; the aftermath
  42. School Focus: The Vale Federation | Aylesbury
  43. DfE Dealing with Subject Access Requests (SARs) Guidance
  44. Update to the Guidance on Information Sharing from the DfE
  45. FOI Requests generated by Artificial Intelligence
  46. Social Media Best Practice Area
  47. Lettings Best Practice Area
  48. Appropriate filtering and monitoring definitions
  49. MFA Bombing - What is it?
  50. Protecting your Social Media Accounts
  51. Why we recommend using checklists
  52. Product Focus on Checklists : Initial Trust Plan
  53. Product Focus on Checklists : End of Term Checklist
  54. Product Focus on Checklists : Information and Cyber Security
  55. Product Focus on Checklists : Social Media
  56. Cyber Incident Review: The Benefits
  57. Product Focus on Checklists : Lettings
  58. Product Focus on Checklists : Record of Processing
  59. Milk Island: The secret location that allows children to view restricted content on Google Maps
  60. Why Data Should Stay Put: Benefits of Keeping Data in Its Original System
  61. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Retention and Destruction
  62. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Migration
  63. Product Focus on Checklists : Biometrics
  64. Product Focus on Checklists : Supplier Due Diligence
  65. Free Cyber help, advice and training with the Cyber Resilience Centres
  66. The Perils of Paper: The Printing Vulnerability
  67. Product Focus on Checklists : FOI
  68. Product Focus on Checklists : Governors and Data
  69. Product Focus on Checklists : DPIA
  70. Product Focus on Checklists : Site Moves
  71. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Breaches
  72. Product Focus on Checklists : Subject Access Requests
  73. Cyber attack on a University
  74. Product Focus on Checklists : Bring your own device
  75. Product Focus on Checklists : Working out of school/offsite
  76. Cyber Attack on a School
  77. Product Focus on Checklists : Redaction
  78. Major cyber-criminal gang Lockbit brought down by UK Law Enforcement
  79. Why Due Diligence is Important: Fake apps
  80. Product Focus on Checklists : CCTV
  81. Product Focus on Checklists : Clear desk
  82. Product Focus on Checklists : Commitment to compliance
  83. Product Focus on Checklists : Photos and video
  84. Product Focus on Checklists : Passwords
  85. Product Focus on Checklists : Information Classification
  86. Safer Internet Day 2024
  87. Kent Councils Data Breach
  88. Free cyber training for staff
  89. DfE Digital Standards Update
  90. The Mother of all Breaches
  91. ClassCharts Possible Data Breach
  92. Where is your data stored?
  93. IAPP looks at AI privacy risks
  94. If you suspect a financial scam .....
  95. Guardians of Privacy: 16. Social Media Checklist
  96. Guardians of Privacy: 15. Navigating Social Media in Educational Settings Summary
  97. Guardians of Privacy: 14. Social Media and Cyber Bullying
  98. Guardians of Privacy: 13. Social Media, Copyright and Intellectual Property
  99. Guardians of Privacy: 12. Social Media and Going Viral
  100. Guardians of Privacy: 11. Staff Social Media Accounts
  101. Guardians of Privacy: 10. Social Media and Cookies
  102. Guardians of Privacy: 9. Social Media and Morality
  103. New Resources for Schools from the ICO
  104. Guardians of Privacy: 8. Social Media Policies
  105. Guardians of Privacy: 7. Social Media Data Retention
  106. Guardians of Privacy: 6. Posting Safely
  107. Guardians of Privacy: 5. Social Media and Consent
  108. Guardians of Privacy: 4. Social Media Access Control
  109. Guardians of Privacy: 3. Social Media Channels
  110. Guardians of Privacy: 2. Law and Regulations
  111. Guardians of Privacy: 1. Social media, privacy and children
  112. Latest ICO Reprimand. Mr. S. Claus, Chief Executive Officer, North Pole Enterprises
  113. Phishing attacks targeting schools - alert from City of London Police
  114. The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
  115. KCSIE: Filtering, Monitoring and Privacy
  116. Guidance for the use of school email and applying email retention in schools
  117. CISA and UK NCSC Announce Joint Guidelines for Secure AI System Development
  118. Data Protection Tips for Early Years Settings
  119. Children's Privacy around the world is a puzzle
  120. Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
  121. Update on Advisory for Rhysida Ransomware
  122. Records Management Best Practice Update
  123. Governors and Data Best Practice Area Update
  124. The Crime in a Cyber Attack and a Data Breach
  125. What do I need to redact?
  126. NCSC Annual Review is published for 2023
  127. Learning from Data Breaches
  128. Windows 11 security ineffective against attacks on old devices
  129. Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
  130. International Counter Ransomware Initiative 2023 Joint Statement
  131. Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
  132. Resistant Cloud Backups
  133. Top Ten Cyber Security Misconfigurations
  134. Lettings Best Practice and Guidance
  135. ICO Reprimand: company suffered a ransomware attack
  136. The UK Online Safety Bill becomes an Act (Law)
  137. Considerations when migrating to a new MIS
  138. The importance of software updates (PaperCut vulnerability and Rhysida ransomware)
  139. Public bodies and sensitive data
  140. Adding offline bulk training using the Certificates function
  141. Ransomware, extortion and the cyber crime ecosystem
  142. Get a DPE Badge for your website!
  143. ICO: 10 Step guide to sharing information to safeguard children
  144. Cyber Resource: The Cyber Resilience Centre Group
  145. Email and Security: ICO recent guidance
  146. Help after a Cyber Attack/Incident
  147. Social Media Policy
  148. Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
  149. Changes to Microsoft Free Licensing for Schools
  150. What to do in the event of a Cyber Attack
  151. Cyber Crime: AI Generated Phishing Attacks
  152. Handling Freedom of Information Requests the right way
  153. Cyber Attack: Exam Boards
  154. VICE SOCIETY - Ransomware attacks on schools
  155. Using Tags if you are a group of organisations in the DPE Knowledge Bank
  156. Where's Harry the Hacker?
  157. Be Cyber Aware: USB Sticks
  158. Cyber Insurance in the Public Sector
  159. Types of Cyber Attacks: DDos Attack (Microsoft DDoS Attack in June)
  160. Cyber Attack: Manchester University
  161. Cyber Attack: Leytonstone School
  162. The ICO Reprimands a school
  163. Be Cyber Aware: Firewalls
  164. Be Cyber Aware: Cyber attacks and transparency. A no blame culture
  165. Cyber Attack: Dorchester School
  166. Knowledge Bank Role Types: Admin, Staff and Trustee
  167. Types of Cyber Attacks: Password Attacks
  168. Be Cyber Aware: Why regular software updates are important
  169. Cyber Attack: Wiltshire School
  170. Keeping your IT systems safe and secure
  171. Types of Cyber Attacks: DDoS Attacks
  172. Types of Cyber Attacks: Phishing
  173. Types of Cyber Attacks: The Insider Threat
  174. Why your data is profitable to cyber criminals
  175. Using WhatsApp in Schools
  176. The Changes to Data Protection in the UK
  177. Knowledge Bank Updates
  178. Types of malware and how they are linked to data protection
  179. Striking Data Breach
  180. IPR Protection Email Scam
  181. Windows Server 2012 & 2012 R2 Retirement
  182. How to contact us for support, subject access requests, data breaches and FOI's
  183. YouTube breached child protection laws
  184. How a school fought back after a cyberattack
  185. Types of Cyber Attacks - Credential Stuffing
  186. January Cyber update - How Can Schools Help Prevent Cyber Attacks?
  187. Assigning courses to staff using to-dos
  188. How the Record of Processing Can Help You
  189. Information Security Basics: What are VPN's?
  190. What does a Data Protection Officer Do?
  191. Are you ready for a Data Breach?
  192. Carrying out Supplier Due Diligence
  193. How Long Should You Keep Personal Data For?
  194. The Education sector now at highest risk of cyber attacks
  195. How to Assess your Data Security
  196. Schools Blocked from Using Facial Recognition Systems
  197. The Children's Code
  198. B&H FoI: Racist/religious incidents/bullying
  199. Cyber Attacks
  200. Protocol for Setting Up and Delivery of Online Teaching and Learning
  201. Class Dojo International Data Sharing
  202. Model Publication Scheme: Amendments, Improvements and Updates
  203. Child friendly privacy notices
  204. Transparency
  205. Parents and students covertly recording conversations
  206. SAR? ER? FOI?
  207. Secure file transfer of files using Royal Mail
  208. Emergency contacts and consent
  209. Key elements of a successful DPIA
  210. FOI Publication Schemes
  211. SHARE: Avoid disinformation online
  212. Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
  213. New Drip Feeds: Recognise and Respond to Subject Access Request
  214. When to contact the Data Protection Officer?
  215. National child measurement programme
  216. Make sure DPE is your registered DPO with the ICO
  217. Compliance Manager released
  218. Headteacher fined for breach of data protection legislation
  219. Emails – good practice and minimising the risk of a data breach

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