Image filtering for Office 365...

[zzyzxuk]

Our school currently uses LGFL's webmail for staff and students, but as we are migrating to Office 365 we're also considering shifting our email to Office 365 as well. However, we're reluctant to lose the scanning of attachments for "inappropriate images" that LGFL provide.

 

Can anyone recommend an (inexpensive) solution for having our emails scanned that works alongside Office 365 (we're assuming that Office 365 -doesn't- do this on it's own...)?

[zag]

What do you mean by image scanning?

 

Office 365 blocks all virus content as far as I know, i've never had a spam message on the system

[synaesthesia]

I would imagine filtering software that can detect things like skin tones for certain reasons - we had this with our old LEA system too. Don't bother these days, there's very rarely a need we find and inappropriate material will soon be discovered as all student emails pass through a central mailbox.

[zag]

I would imagine filtering software that can detect things like skin tones for certain reasons - we had this with our old LEA system too. Don't bother these days, there's very rarely a need we find and inappropriate material will soon be discovered as all student emails pass through a central mailbox.

 

Oh yeh I remember our LEA trying to sell us that service as well years and years ago.

 

Not sure it was ever needed.

[zzyzxuk]

Yes, was referring to the 'filtering for skin tones for certain reasons' - I'm after solutions for that as while I agree that it may be rare (and possibly unneeded), it's our SLT that I need to convince, and they want to be very caution on this front...

[Phoenix_IT]

Where as I agree it is not always needed, I would strongly suggest checking with your child protection officer what the school policy is, as it only takes one student to receive an explicit image, and the school can be in a lot of trouble, which always comes back to bite the IT department.

 

It might be a long shot, but have you asked LGFL if you can continue to use their image filtering as a third party? Most companies would have methods to be able to offer those types of services at a modest price.

[synaesthesia]

There is due care and attention and there is overkill though, @Phoenix_IT - although all of us absolutely agree that should never, ever happen, it is *impossible* - not unlikely or improbably but absolutely stone cold impossible to stop everything coming through. If every school paid out the relevant money on safety filtering there would be no budget left to run the school. Besides which, skintone and similar filtering is still fairly crap; not much good when you're researching biology, or media/music (and your favourite artist is any modern artist with barely any clothing. It'd have a fit with someone studying Miley Cyrus!)

Education and class control trumps that IMO.

[Phoenix_IT]

I agree it is impossible, however if a parent takes legal action, it is down to the school/IT department to prove they have done everything possible! And yes I have seen schools go through this, and I have seen a head teacher be successfully prosecuted for failing on things like this.

 

I'm not saying everyone HAS to have it, I'm saying you should ALWAYS speak to the child protection office at the school for anything like this, they will be best placed to advice on what steps the school wants/has in place.

[zag]

This is a totally pointless feature that was pushed years ago by some LEA's as part of their email solutions. I expect some salesman came in and told them that this was needed and they believed them.

 

The problem simply does not exist from my experience.

[synaesthesia]

Of course - child protection is extremely important and everyone should take the necessary steps to help protect against it. If a parent marches in here saying they believe filtering to be inadequate (incorrectly) I will guarantee it will no longer be a problem for their child as I ban them from the internet!