Remote software - using it to monitor students

[Halfmad]

Moral or not?

I'm a little uneasy about doing it without the student knowing they're being watched, the computers in question are in the library and not in a suite of computers but also they're the ones which are abused the most.

The head of computing doesn't see a problem with it and actually thinks it'd deter a lot of the problems we've been having with students trying to bypass proxy servers etc. However I'm not convinced and see it as an invasion of privacy, although part of me thinks that they shouldn't have anything to hide.

Confused, some guidance please good edugeeks

I knew I shouldn't have gone to the pub last night ops:

[broc]

We use software to monitor & record activity on all curriculum PCs and Laptops.

Be up-front about it; Students & their parents/guardians at our school are informed that this is part of the school policy to protect the children against cyber bullying, misuse of equipment, accessing inappropriate material on the Internet etc. They are warned that anything they do on the school network is logged, recorded and may be used as evidence to support disciplinary action by the school.

Both students & parents/guardians have to sign a letter confirming they have read & agreed to the policy. Last September we blocked all Internet access for students until we received the signed letters.

[Friez]

Over here we have made students (and parents) fully aware that we maintain logs, read logs and actually have sanctions in place to deny access to the Internet for a period of time should a student be using a proxy portal.

Bypassing our internet security to gain access to a resource they're not allowed to (if you consider social networking, dating sites and random internet porn a resource) could also be considered illegal via computer misuse act and they can face criminal prosecution. It is our job to enforce the security of the network.

Therefore, students accept the fact that they're being monitored and the reasons why they're being monitored. And when they've lost Internet for a few weeks, they think twice about using proxy portals (usually).

[Halfmad]

cheers guys, I'd gone and chatted to the head of computing and we'd more or less agreed that it's fine. I'm not seeing anything that someone in the same room can't see and as it's usually blatantly obvious when the kids are using bebo etc I'm hardly intruding on privacy.

I wish senior management would take the issue of proxy servers and network security as a whole more serious in here!

[Halfmad]

Anyone have a standard "blurb" about it? I'd like to put a notice up in the library, however I tend to go over the top and start telling people I'll burn them at the stake etc etc.

network admin from hell, that's me !

[john]

Notice:
All computers in school have remote management and control software on them. This allows authorised users access to view and control your computer at any time. It is for your security and the machines wellbeing, not to snoop on you.

Please seek Halfmad or Mr head of computing if you need more information on this new setup.

[Halfmad]

Nice and concise john

I'd rather have a better title though, Evil I.T. overlord or something similar :P

[webman]

Yours faithfully, BOfH :twisted:

[stephenleak]

Nice and concise john

I'd rather have a better title though, Evil I.T. overlord or something similar :P

Like "Mordac, the Preventer of IT Services"? :-)

[phreak]

Ha ha. Nice. I personally don't see a problem with snooping on students though normally they would have to have given me a reason. I came across this one school a while back that had this student who was a little scriptkiddie and brought some cd into school once so the schools IT tech sent the disk onto the company I was working for at the time and it had loads of network hacking tools. Anyway, so we advised them of this and checked over their network, basically he had all the admin passwords, some teachers accounts, all the network config details and the upstream proxy details as well and some trojan software on the server itself so he could get access to it at home. Since then my stance on these kind of script kiddies has hardened so I have no problem with a little snooping now and again if it will ensure the networks security.

[ChrisH]

Its also good for topping up your banned words and phrases on your content filter. You can watch them try all the combinations they can think of and add any that are getting through. I think it's really nice of the kids to help us in this manner .

[Halfmad]

Yeah I did that the last day of term! put it on 3 library PCs and watched them all trying to get onto bebo proxy sites. everytime I saw one I'd ban it, they'd get a blocked message and try their next favourite proxy. I must have blocked 20 in 5 minutes!!

[SimpleSi]

basically he had all the admin passwords, some teachers accounts, all the network config details and the upstream proxy details as well and some trojan software on the server itself so he could get access to it at home.

Don't chastise them - get them working for you on YOUR team

regards

Simon