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Summer term 2020
Welcome back from Easter break. As everyone is getting settled into a regular routine of homeworking, we wanted to provide a bit of guidance on some common issues: use of Zoom, phishing emails and free school meals.
Zoom video conferencing
Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing platforms, and one of the easiest to use. However, there are some key issues that have cropped up which we would like to bring to your attention, and ways to avoid those pitfalls.
One major issue with Zoom is that calls are not encrypted. On top of that there are concerns that Zoom cannot keep a high level of security with the dramatic increase in users. As a result, individuals have been testing Zoom’s security and there have been reported incidents of unauthorised personnel dropping in on other people’s Zoom meetings and calls. This has caused issues where they have literally dropped in, displayed inappropriate information or said something inappropriate and then left as quickly as they came, or even worse, have stayed in the conversation forcing it to be closed and restarted.
This doesn’t mean you cannot use Zoom but we would recommend issuing caution in using it (and putting safeguards in place), particularly if you are using it to communicate with students. Firstly, it is worth raising staff awareness on security issues with Zoom and to inform them that if anything during the call doesn’t seem right, the staff member can shut down the call instantly preventing there being a security issue for the students.
You can also change your settings to limit the possibility of a third party joining the conversation. There is an option to create a digital call-waiting room. What this means is that you send out invites to only those people that you want to join your Zoom call, or you provide the login details and link to those that may want to join a meeting and before they are allowed on the call they are placed in this virtual waiting room and cannot enter the conversation until the host has provided their consent for them to join. This will allow you to screen who is joining in on Zoom meetings/chats prior to them being allowed to participate.
Phishing emails
Unfortunately, we have also seen a huge rise in schools (and Judicium) receiving phishing emails. These emails are designed to exploit the increase in homeworking and are finding clever ways to try and make an email seem genuine. Here are some key tips to assist you:
- Beware emails containing links within them. For example we have seen emails coming from individuals (not companies) asking to click a link to stop receiving further emails. Clicking links from unknown emails are the most common source of malware. If in doubt then obviously please don’t click on any links.
- Check the email address that the email has come from. We have seen examples where the email sender name looks genuine and someone you may normally correspond with but then the email address doesn’t match up or contains a mixture of numbers and random letters.
- If the contact is one that you recognise then it’s often better to be safe than sorry and email that contact to confirm that they sent you an email prior to you opening the original message.
- Keep anti-virus and security software up to date – these are designed to try and prevent you from opening dangerous links. They regularly need updating which will help reduce the chances of individuals being able to click on those links. So don’t snooze or delay those updates.
- Never give out personal information. Sometimes the link itself may not be the problem but may take you to a page to input personal data (such as bank details). Before inputting those details do make sure that the link is genuine and comes from a genuine source (as stated above, it may be best to contact the individual/company to verify).
- To raise awareness with staff to remain alert (and ensure they don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown sources).
Food Vouchers
We are aware that some schools are experiencing issues with issuing free school meal vouchers using Edenred (namely delays in vouchers being issued) and looking to alternatives (such as issuing supermarket vouchers). In any event, it is still very important to check parents are receiving those vouchers (and we would recommend contacting parents in advance to ensure the contact details you have for them are correct). This is to ensure vouchers don’t get sent to incorrect email addresses.
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