Screen-Lock times for teaching staff

[paulkerton]

Hi all. We're currently having discussions about screen-lock times (a discussion as old as time!) and the balances between security and convenience.

 

I thought the wisdom of crowds might be useful for everyone on this discussion.

So I thought I'd put a poll together and see what people have set at their schools (for staff/teaching staff in particular)

 

It's an age old debate, and we want to balance the needs of the users against the needs to protect the data.

Edited February 22, 2024 by paulkerton

[mavhc]

Depends if you have biometric login, a different rule for when the laptop is projecting, and what data they have access to. Also will they proactively lock their screen?

[CHiLL]

We have our teaching staff (and I actually think all our staff) set to 10 minutes of inactivity and I think this is ignored by default if videos or slideshows are running. We had many instances of computers being left unlocked with SIMS left logged in, so we had to enforce it.

[TechMonkey]

We have 15 as a compromise between nothing (wanted by teaching staff) and 5 minutes wanted by DPO. As CHiLL, it is interrupted by slideshow or full screen video.

If I could trust staff to lock their machines when they walk away from the class I would make it longer. But they don't and they prove this every time they try argue the point.

[Olliedawg]

Curveball one here, set to 45 minutes. Probably is a bit too long, might look at reducing it to maybe 20.

[NegativeKillDeath]

5 minutes here, far too many instances of PCs left unlocked after the final period of the day when teachers are catching up in the staff room. When I worked for the NHS any new tech that left their PC unlocked in the office would have his "resignation email" sent to the team lead, who would then play along with it and have a meeting withe the tech.

[mavhc]

Everyone who's found with an unlocked screen should get put in the 5 mins lock gpo group

[msi_school]

Never tell them the time, it stops knee jerk that's too short reactions.

[akidosaint]

5 minutes here, far too many instances of PCs left unlocked after the final period of the day when teachers are catching up in the staff room. When I worked for the NHS any new tech that left their PC unlocked in the office would have his "resignation email" sent to the team lead, who would then play along with it and have a meeting withe the tech.

 

Working in both the Police and NHS an email was sent out saying cakes were being bought in for the whole team

[Davit2005]

I'd say 5mins but it goes out the window when Staff members let Students use the staff computer account.

 

Had a request was made to open up a web site which turned out to be a proxy avoidance site. Only staff could request web site requests and we also got the member of staffs ID. The best the staff member came up with was those cheeky kids. We had loads of issues at that school where the shared area had it's folders renamed to childish/rude names too, I wonder why

[Oaktech]

Edict from SLT - 1 hour for classroom PCs.

 

PPA and Laptops (we are all desktops in classrooms) 10 minutes.

[Olliedawg]

I've just changed mine. See if i get any complaints now

 

Classroom desktops = 30 Minutes

 

Staff Laptops = 10 minutes plugged in, 5 minutes on battery power.

[pete]

Classroom teachers = 50 minutes.

 

Classroom teachers that I find logged in and unattended? 10 minutes until their line manager has had a word with them.

[MartinByard]

10 minutes for general staff machines for us, 60 minutes for front of class/lecture theatre machines so that if they're projecting something it doesn't time out.

[PotNoodleTech]

Realistically nowadays the cybersecurity threat is so real, there is no Seurity v convenience.

 

Just security.

 

(unless you want to be one of those schools in the newspaper headlines, that chose convenience)

[mavhc]

If a child can hack a teacher's laptop because they left it logged in, it's not the teacher's problem, it's your problem

[PotNoodleTech]

If a child can hack a teacher's laptop because they left it logged in, it's not the teacher's problem, it's your problem

 

Installing keylogger etc. aside which we all know shouldnt be possible as staff are not allowed to install apps/download exe etc etc right?

 

 

they don't need to hack anything as the teacher already has emails / mis / etc etc open so the kid can just click on a window and and go to town. No hacking involved at all and nothing IT security can really solve either.

 

Still potentially a data breach / cyber security issue though.

[thimon]

I’ve set screens to lock after 10 minutes for everyone, no exception.

[enjay]

10 minutes here, staff are shown the "freeze" button if they need longer, and the Win+L if they leave it (that's less well used).

 

When we introduced this at my previous school, we compromised on 20 minutes because teachers felt anything less would impact lessons. With the HT's approval, I dropped it by 2 minutes per term until it was down to 10 minutes - no-one noticed.

 

As for the unattended computer, IT and Site staff were told any computer found unattended in an unlocked classroom was to be confiscated and handed to the HT for collection. That was very effective!

Edited February 23, 2024 by enjay

[mavhc]

Installing keylogger etc. aside which we all know shouldnt be possible as staff are not allowed to install apps/download exe etc etc right?

 

 

they don't need to hack anything as the teacher already has emails / mis / etc etc open so the kid can just click on a window and and go to town. No hacking involved at all and nothing IT security can really solve either.

 

Still potentially a data breach / cyber security issue though.

 

Not cyber security though, physical security. Exactly the same as leaving the same document on your desk.

[PotNoodleTech]

Not cyber security though, physical security. Exactly the same as leaving the same document on your desk.

 

Yep which is the staff members level of professional responsibility in question, nowt to do with us!

[enjay]

Has anyone tried using proximity devices to lock computers? Of course, staff might just leave them by the computer along with their keys and ID badge...

[jmak]

Has anyone tried using proximity devices to lock computers? Of course, staff might just leave them by the computer along with their keys and ID badge...

We're testing face ID

 

It's our last hope - we tried everything else and they either didn't bring it at all or left it behind when they left the room.

[enjay]

We're testing face ID

 

It's our last hope - we tried everything else and they either didn't bring it at all or left it behind when they left the room.

 

Are you sure you should trust your staff with access to data?! :-)

[thimon]

We're testing face ID

 

It's our last hope - we tried everything else and they either didn't bring it at all or left it behind when they left the room.

 

We’ve allowed Windows Hello for quicker logging in. Users tend to opt for using their finger print, logs you in instantly. Think this has helped.