News

Technology company Acer has been announced as the inaugural silver sponsor for the Victorian ICT Network in Education (VINE) for 2019.

Please see our media release below:
Acer named silver sponsor MEDIA RELEASE March 2019.pdf

CompliSpace recently released a white paper identifying top 12 key risks for schools.  It is no surprise, that 'IT Systems and Security Failures' was right near the top of the list.  They suggest that schools need to be thinking of 'when' not 'if' a breach make take place.  They identified common operational risks as

• systems/network failures due to power fluctuations
• hardware/LAN failure
• loss of data
• poorly trained staff
• over dependence on outsourced IT
• poor management practices and process
• inadequate use of anti-virus/anti-spam systems

They suggest the following key steps to assist in addressing the risks:

• engage a cybersafety expert to conduct a review and identify weaknesses
• conduct scenario based drills
• develop and test critical incident response/business interruption plan
• review policies to address impacts on staff and students safety and welfare

 Click here to download the full article

Schools may wish to get on the front foot in dealing with the latest topic that is doing the rounds at school drops offs..  

There is a fair bit of debate whether the hoax (similar to blue whale) is true or not, but it certainly has some parents highly concerned.  Whilst there are no doubt several approaches schools can take, (from ignoring - to informing all parents) it may just be the opportunity for a timely reminder on some hints for parents to give them some tools (and comfort) on how they deal with Momo or whatever the next craze is.    It may also be worth getting some value for money from your firewall to see how many students are actually investigating this craze while they are at school...

Some articles (there are plenty more)

Description of what Momo is/isn't about

Generic Youtube safety advice from Family Zone

The Education Review recently published an article by Colin Anson from Pixevety (now a VINE Gold Sponsor) where he refers to  Deloitte Australian Privacy Index  that found the education sector as one of the weakest on privacy.  The article talks about how the use of photos, videos and digital recordings fit into our duty of care, the consent process as well as Data Breach.  

Many schools have given great consideration to the security and privacy of the data and platforms, particularly in light of the legislative changes brought around by the data breach legislation.  However, as the article suggests it may be timely to consider a review of your consent process to ensure you avoid 'coercive consent' (ie where a child cannot participate if they do not have consent) or 'bundled consent' (a vague opt out that covers everything).

Education Review Privacy Article.pdf

As previously advised, the transition from the Victorian IT Directors Network to the Victorian ICT Network for Education (VINE) is now well underway.

Part of this transition is the migration to a new member website which can accommodate the growing needs  of our newly incorporated group. 

There are three member types: 

Individual	$50 per annum, ex GST
School – individual member	$150 per annum, ex GST
School – multiple members	$600 per annum, ex GST

Renewals will be from 1 August each year. 

The legacy VINE site will continue to be accessible to members while the transition takes place (until the end of 2018). We encourage all existing members to Join the new site to ensure they remain connected to the network.

For individual membership, the signup process is straightforward. For school with multiple members, please follow the following process:

For each school, a master member must be selected. The master member (typically the ICT Manager) signs up first and is responsible for payment of the membership fee. 

Once payment has been processed the master member will be notified and further members can sign up/be "bundled" into the school membership. 

No further charge will be made for additional/multiple members.

Once registered members will be asked to complete a short personal profile. Registrations will give access to the members only area of the website.

Queries should be directed to info@vine.vic.edu.au