iCloud blocked

[WithoutMotive]

Quick question: Anyone else's lovely LA block access to iCloud? Messes up my syncing of various things no end. It's not a massive issue just particularly frustrating.

That'll do for a mini morning rant.

[6Foot2]

It isn't blocked here [HGfL] I can't test it any further than the first screen as I don't have a username/password to login with.

 

HTH.

[synaesthesia]

Have you spoken to your LA? It's unlikely they'd block iCloud or similar globally with no respite with how popular iDevices are getting.

[Achandler]

Well our local LA are enforcing no documents can be taken off site, or sent to a none gov.uk email address unless encrypted and password protected etc. Given the lengths they are going to in this respect, storing documents (because that is what people will be doing) on iCloud seems to me like a total contradiction of this policy.

 

Also unless Apple have changed there policies as far as I was last aware, your documents were not guaranteed to stay within the EU which contravened EU laws for document storage for businesses/ public organisations. Apple devices are still targeted at non-business customers, so as a result iCloud isn't a problem. As I said I don't know if Apple have changed this. So popularity of iDevices might be increasing, but the EU Data protection law is actually catching up, I believe Google Business accounts now store your data within the region you are from to comply with this law.

 

Just be prepared for the LA to say similar to what I have posted.

[GrumbleDook]

The location is outside of the EU but Apple have signed Safe Harbor but with limited comment about file storage. This aspect is a feature which can be turned off anyway on devices so you can restrict what does and doesn't get automatically uploaded.

 

The location of online storage is a concern but not the major concern. That should be down to how you deal with there the documents are stored on local devices. If on a Mac OS X machine then you should be using FileVault 2 anyway to encrypt the drive. If on an iOS device then you should have a pass-code enabled (not 'simple passcode' either) and have it set to wipe the device after x failed logins (by default it is set to 10 but you can alter than using the various MDM / iOS config tools).

 

This is the same principle used with where you sync other online storage solutions to as well (Skydrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc) so Apple is no different.

 

As always, your own risk assessment for your school (and that of your SIRO of course) is the important bit and it is difficult for an LA to leave things generically open in case people start doing things without planning ... a delicate balancing act.

 

It might be that the LA / RBC will open up the required ports for your school and be able to set it as a template for other schools looking to do the same.