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Data Privacy

Cyber security should start at the top

Emerging technologies have the power to completely transform the way education is delivered and received. New technology offers a myriad of opportunities for schools, but it also presents complex challenges. 

Security concerns will also arise out of the explosion of devices connected to the Internet. The growing importance of the Internet will present its own challenges in terms of network sophistication and Internet capacity, while a strategy around cybersafety will be more important than ever. A successful transition to the digital classroom depends on schools understanding the opportunities and preparing for the challenges of the future.

Harnessing data will be the key to utilizing cutting-edge technology, and this means that schools should be collecting data in a consistent format and doing it now. But the breadth of data also presents schools with a heavy responsibility to keep sensitive information safe. A responsibility that starts at the top, with the board.

In our experiences in working with schools we are seeing cybersafety becoming a cornerstone requirement for school boards and councils to review. Thought-leading schools are embracing a full suite of policy, training and education for students and staff coupled closely with behavioural monitoring tools to assist in providing early indicators of risk that can be addressed before escalating.

Could this happen to us and if so, how can this be fixed immediately?

A recent article in the Financial Review explains… “the drudgery of getting cyber security right is something that boards of companies (be they listed or not) still grapple with. Board directors must satisfy themselves that they understand the risks the organisation is carrying and what the organisation must do to mitigate those risks. They must act with skill, care and diligence. However, somehow when it comes to cyber security, directors assuring themselves that they understand their key risks and that they are managing them effectively continues to be a challenge. Every time a data breach is reported, all boards should be asking whoever is accountable for cyber security in their organisation ‘could this happen to us and if so, how can this be fixed immediately?'”

Schools and school boards must be pre-emptive in their approach to cyber security and data privacy, and with the education sector being named in the top #4 of reported data breaches for the second quarter running of Australia’s Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) Scheme by the OAIC, now it is more imperative than ever.

To assist schools in understanding the NDB scheme and to help mitigate a data breach, CyberHound commissioned global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright to develop a suite of education-specific resources. These include simple checklists and user-friendly guides for schools to help prevent, and prepare for, a data breach.

Access and download the suite of resources from Norton Rose Fulbright and CyberHound below: