USB Pen Drives

[grumpy_git]

So do I, but it isn't quite so simple. Imagine, for example, that you find a pen drive lying around so plug it in to see whose it is. In the process of so doing, you find something on there which raises concern for one reason or another - adult material, evidence of bullying/threats towards to other students, documents about self-harming, a diary about coping with domestic abuse (okay, I know that last one is unlikely, but it isn't impossible). In that situation, you would be duty bound, possibly legally required, to report it. If it then came out that you didn't have the legal right to have looked at the pen drive, you/the school could be in all sorts of trouble.

 

Wouldn't it be "reasonable" to look at a pen drive to identify the owner? Similarly if a folder was found abandoned in a room, we might look inside to see who it belongs to. You wouldn't just walk up to someone and look in their folder, but if it's left abandoned you've got a reason to do it - to identify the owner.

 

However, if someone does know of a law against it I'd be interested to hear, so that we can write it into the AUP. All pens which are found in school end up in our office, and we try to identify them (which can sometimes mean opening up documents to identify the owner) - they then get sent an email / slip in the register.

 

As you say I think you are bound to report anything of that sort which you find during the course of your duties.

[enjay]

What you describe is no different than if you find something in someones user area.

True, although realistically they're much more likely to carry said items on their pens than in the areas.

 

Unless of course your saying thats illegal?

 

Almost. What I'm saying is that (I think) it is illegal to look at their pen drives if you haven't told them that you may do so. If your school rules say that staff (check it doesn't say "teachers", by the way) can and will look at pen drives, then you're good (as with school bags). If civil liberties / privacy enthusiasts don't like that, they are free to not bring in a pen drive.

[enjay]

Wouldn't it be "reasonable" to look at a pen drive to identify the owner?

 

Reasonable and legal are not always the same thing though!

 

Of course, no one is going to mind you illegally looking at their pen in order to return it to them. The problem comes if, while doing this, you find out that the child is/might be getting abused at home; the person doing that abuse may well be less understanding about the fact that you came by the information illegally.

 

I would say to write it into the school rules, if only to cover yourselves in the unlikely event of it ever getting ugly. IMO, the cost of including it is far less than the cost of not including it.

 

I would advise it be part of the school rules, not the AUP, though - pen drives are only part of the school's computers when plugged in, and therefore the AUP might not apply to an unplugged one. Wouldn't swear to that, though...

[TheydonBois]

@TheydonBois - fairly sure you can automatically delete certain files from pen drives when they're connected. As I said earlier, the CMA states that the pen drive becomes part of the computer when connected, giving network administrators the same rights over connected pen drives as they have over home directories.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but CMA? And is a CMA school specific?

[grumpy_git]

Forgive my ignorance, but CMA? And is a CMA school specific?

 

Computer Misuse Act 1990 (I think!).

[enjay]

Yes, CMA is the Computer Misuse Act (I'll take Grumpy_Git's word for it about the year!)

[CAM]

If it's used to disrupt a lesson, it goes on the teacher's desk! Doesn't matter if it is a USB stick with games, a mobile phone or an air horn. Even if if they put on an "only I am affected" attitude, that is still one student with disrupted learning.

 

If you really want to take things technical, the games software has to use the CPU, etc to function. So if games aren't allowed, it is a device "interfering with the operation of the computer" by using up processor time and confiscated.