With the increasing popularity of Bring Your Own Device programmes, Darren Pepper considers how schools might manage data security and e-safety.

Schools hold a myriad of sensitive data, from exam results and personal phone numbers to SEN information and medical records. This means that security of systems and data is paramount and becomes ever more pressing as schools continue to embrace new approaches such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

BYOD is an attractive prospect for schools. It can help free up already restricted budgets, diminish the digital divide, increase the computer-to-student ratio, and improve engagement and motivation.

However, welcoming mobile devices into the classroom in different shapes and sizes naturally brings data security risks and challenges. The sheer range of devices alone – from laptops, notebooks and tablets to SmartPhones and hybrid computers – can be bewildering. Equally, the related data security issues, such as unauthorised access, loss of data, viruses and so on, are uppermost in people’s minds.

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