Application privacy upon projection

[rjmayer]

Hello,

 

Very occasionally, there could be a circumstance where a teacher, delivering a lesson, manages to project Outlook onto a whiteboard in the classroom. If luck is not on their side, it could also be that some sensitive information is shown in a message at the same time. If further bad luck prevails, a student may spot this information and this, in turn, could lead to a complaint.

 

Clearly, there is a significant element of training and awareness that could come out of such a conversation. There are also possible rudimentary approaches to tackling this issue through means of warning messages ahead of Outlook launching and the like, but I was wondering if anyone knows of a more sophisticated solution out there.

 

What I have in mind is a service that runs on the client which is configured and applied centrally, perhaps by GPO, that is instructed, on a per-group basis, that if certain applications get output to any monitor except the primary one, the image of the application becomes blurred...

 

As far as I can make out, if the training and awareness fails and the rudimentary options are seen as insufficient, a cleverer approach such as the above, may be the only answer...

 

Any experience of such a solution?

 

Richard

[Steve21]

Sounds like trying to implement a technical answer to a non-technical problem really.

 

There would be no way you'd know if the primary monitor was a projector or a screen, if a student can see said screen, which programs have what info.... A PPT could have personal info in, you couldn't block them all.

 

Steve

[localzuk]

Indeed. You can determine which screen is deemed "Primary" in the settings - so this would likely lead to confusion and weirdness with a system like this.

 

No, this is purely a non-technical issue - train staff to not open Outlook when they are using projectors etc... If they fail, then it goes through the usual disciplinary procedures!

[bossman]

No, this is purely a non-technical issue - train staff to not open Outlook when they are using projectors etc... If they fail, then it goes through the usual disciplinary procedures!

 

Absolutely...totally agree

 

Its a common sense approach me feels........unfortunately its not something some people have nowadays especially in the educational field....shame really as these are the very professionals deemed fit to teach our children....nuff said!

[Katy]

I'd agree with everyone else that it's a training issue - we have some motherboards where HDMI is classed as primary, others where it's VGA, others it's DVI - with no way to set which one is primary - so that'd make a software solution difficult without having a local "which does this PC think primary is - projector or monitor?" setting. Then to throw more spanners in the works we have a couple of old rooms where there's an external VGA splitter.

[JATSO]

Hello,

 

Very occasionally, there could be a circumstance where a teacher, delivering a lesson, manages to project Outlook onto a whiteboard in the classroom. If luck is not on their side, it could also be that some sensitive information is shown in a message at the same time. If further bad luck prevails, a student may spot this information and this, in turn, could lead to a complaint.

 

Clearly, there is a significant element of training and awareness that could come out of such a conversation. There are also possible rudimentary approaches to tackling this issue through means of warning messages ahead of Outlook launching and the like, but I was wondering if anyone knows of a more sophisticated solution out there.

 

What I have in mind is a service that runs on the client which is configured and applied centrally, perhaps by GPO, that is instructed, on a per-group basis, that if certain applications get output to any monitor except the primary one, the image of the application becomes blurred...

 

As far as I can make out, if the training and awareness fails and the rudimentary options are seen as insufficient, a cleverer approach such as the above, may be the only answer...

 

Any experience of such a solution?

 

Richard

 

No need to be clever to use Extended Desktop.

Then surely they need to drag the outlook window on to the 2nd Display.

They are teachers they should be aware what they need to display and what is not needed.

[bossman]

No need to be clever to use Extended Desktop.

Then surely they need to drag the outlook window on to the 2nd Display.

They are teachers they should be aware what they need to display and what is not needed.

 

 

PMSL.....sorry but did you actually think this out?

 

Not meaning to be offensive to you at all its just against the grain....

[localzuk]

No need to be clever to use Extended Desktop.

Then surely they need to drag the outlook window on to the 2nd Display.

They are teachers they should be aware what they need to display and what is not needed.

This would just cause confusion "my projector is blank!" and also brings with it the primary/secondary display issue for video files that will only play on the primary display due to DRM.

[JATSO]

This would just cause confusion "my projector is blank!" and also brings with it the primary/secondary display issue for video files that will only play on the primary display due to DRM.

 

They only get confused because they are not aware of how to use it.

Show them how to use it and if it doesn't work for them then they switch back to what they are comfortable with.

[jthompson]

I'd want to exhaust all staff training options before spending any time on a technical solution.

[mavhc]

I'd want to exhaust all staff training options before spending any time on a technical solution.

 

Staff training would take more time and be less reliable though.

 

Really staff computer usage is split into "things that go on a projector" and "everything else", maybe they need 2 logins

[jthompson]

Staff training would take more time and be less reliable though.

 

It'd be the other way around for me. I'm just not that good!!

[strawberry]

I can just picture the day someone leaves a daft email screenshot open, launches the projector and wonders why the PDF with the image inside isn't censored.

[PyROm]

I would imagine you could just detect if 2 monitors were plugged in and minimize outlook. Whats to stop them using outlook web mail if they cant use outlook program? How many tickets are you going to get because people cant open their email? Is this going to push people onto using gmail/hotmail etc. so they can open email without unplugging projector? Lots of problems with doing it from IT point of view, when really it should be treated as a DPA/GDPR breach or even safeguarding issue along with appropriately strong discipline procedure, imagine if the complainant also phoned the ICO to tell them about the breach (Which the school in theory aught to do)!

[KevinB]

At my place we have an instruction deirectly from the principal that if you are connected to any kind of projector or interactive screen then under no circumstances will you have Outlook or any other mail client open. Seems to be working so far...

[ZeroHour]

There used to be an app years ago that could force and app to a specific window and lock it there but I cant seem to find it although this is a staff issue tbh.

[p858snake]

And if they are using extended desktops and student(/s) walk up to the desk to hand something in and see outlook open?