Reasons needed re: teachers laptops at home

[sidewinder]

Here, we have always said when it comes to teacher laptops, they can either have them on the domain and can use offline files at home but NOT use the internet at home or have them standalone and not use the internet here

This has always worked fine, as proxy settings have stopped them connecting at home, and you need to be on the domain for the wireless to work, so even if they ignore us, they're unlikely to succeed

Now though, the NM has decided that teachers should be allowed to use their networked laptops on the internet at home (they obviously do tend to ask for this when we give them a networked laptop, normally they dont mind too much when we say no)
I (and im sure all of you can too) see the obvious security issues this creates, but she does not, so I need some well thought out arguments to change her mind.

The obvious one to me is that even if virus protection is updated, there is still a lot more risks with completely unfiltered internet at home compared with filtered internet at school. If for whatever reason Sophos fails to update, a teacher could easily connect an infected laptop to the network after visiting some dodgy sites at home and be unaware that anything is wrong.
We do have software that does screen captures of any sites like that and will upload them to the server when the laptop is connected, but a virus could easily spread far quicker than we would be aware of what the teacher had been doing

Can anyone word the obvious risks a bit better than I can?

[CyberNerd]

You should also check that the correct tax has been payed to allow the laptops to be used for personal use, the school must pay the VAT which could get expensive.

[Oops_my_bad]

I agree with cybernerd

Also might be worth going above your NM and pointing out the obvious to your SLT - if they're aware of how this jeapordises the integrity of the network then generally you will get them on side.

[tech_guy]

Originally Posted by TeddyKGB

I agree with cybernerd

Also might be worth going above your NM and pointing out the obvious to your SLT - if they're aware of how this jeapordises the integrity of the network then generally you will get them on side.

I tried this approach but was overruled by the head. All we could do was check that everything was up to date all the time and we put the fear of God into all the staff about the possible consequences of looking at dodgy stuff at home or letting their kids use the machines.

[eean]

Do teachers have local admin access to their machine? If not, it would be hard for a virus or malware to install. Combine that with Virus Scan, and set windows update so it does force installs (but downloads from the public WU site not internal WSUS) and you've got a pretty tight system.
Whilst they could visit a dodgy site at home, they would have to be utterly stupid to risk being caught (even if it wasn't 'That Bad'), the risk of embarrassment never mind the risk of loosing their job would put most teachers off. A clear AUP will spell it out.
Even if the Virus scan didn’t update, (and why is it less likely to do this at home than at school?), the virus scan on your school’s system is going to stop it in its tracks.
Many schools on here allow VPN connections, the security risks have got to be equal if not greater.
On the flip side, if I can't connect my laptop to the internet at home, it is pretty useless to me as a work tool. My old man works for on an MOD site, so their security has to be tight, and he can bring his laptop home. Yes, there are risks but these can be controlled and the benefits, IMO, outweigh them.

[PEO]

Originally Posted by CyberNerd

You should also check that the correct tax has been payed to allow the laptops to be used for personal use, the school must pay the VAT which could get expensive.

I have never heard of this and im a little confussed. I thaought if a teachers laptop was used for work and personal use everything would be fine?

Is the any more information about this?

[strawberry]

my understanding is that if its part of there contract that they have one then they are taxed, as per company car. if they are given one to use then
its not taxable.

[PEO]

aaa right. No its not part of there contract, but we have given laptops out to staff as part of the laptops for teachers scheme. So i don't think they would be taxed.

So what your saying is, if its part of there contract to have one, then the school must pay the full VAT like any Tom thingy or harry?

[eean]

I can't see how the LFT scheme would make a difference. The Laptop is still owned by the school. Here is a quote from the tes website:

5 | Posted by: cornflake at 17 Jun 2007 15:37



Thanks! I'm now wading through these to think how best to adapt to our context.

Bectonboy - one thing I noticed on yours. It says that you encourage teachers to take their laptops home and that personal use is permitted. Please be aware that this if staff do this, the SCHOOL need to fill in a form for the Inland Revenue, as use of business property for personal use means it is a taxabale benefit to the value of 20% of the laptop value. (PPA is fine)

Accordingly, we have had to issue a statement saying that personal use is not permitted unless the employee informs the business manager accordingly so the appropriate return can be made.

There are penalties for non-compliance (from the tax man!)

Of course, how tax folk would ever know that they were being used in this way is either here nor there. We have just alerted staff to this fact and told them the penalty will be theirs if found out!

Seems like a fairly sensible way of looking at it.

[webman]

I'm surprised teachers haven't got themselves exempt from this tax through their unions

[strawberry]

Originally Posted by webman

I'm surprised teachers haven't got themselves exempt from this tax through their unions

they dont need to, they just inform the tax man that they're a teacher and that they are very busy.

[eean]

I think even the Tax man would be getting petty if he started clamping down on this.* Were would it stop? I mean, if you use a work PC during lunch hour for personal use, surely that's a perk. And therefore taxable. Half the country would get fined and then Gordon Brown would loose his job.

* Legal disclaimer: I'd never use it, of course

[PEO]

this bit here --> Accordingly, we have had to issue a statement saying that personal use is not permitted unless the employee informs the business manager accordingly so the appropriate return can be made.

If a teacher leaves the school grounds with the laptop then the business manager (school bursar) must be notified that they are using it for work, and that they will return it soon as they are done.

We have the teachers sign a small agreement to say the Laptop belongs to the school and that it must be returned to the school when they leave.

[tech_guy]

Originally Posted by strawberry

they dont need to, they just inform the tax man that they're a teacher and that they are very busy.

They'd get a TA to tell the taxman for them, surely?

8O

[K.C.Leblanc]

Originally Posted by tech_guy

They'd get a TA to tell the taxman for them, surely?

8O

Why, when they can ask us to do it. After all taxes are online so it's our job now.