Data security guidance for the FE system
January 30, 2009 in The information authority Blog by Paul
We would like your input on the data security guidance being developed to meet the needs of the FE system.
What data security guidance is being produced?
Becta is reviewing its data handling security guidance for schools to cover all sectors of the education system. The information authority will help to feed in the FE system’s requirements. In response to feedback from our stakeholder workshops, Becta is planning to produce the following tiers of guidance:
- Detailed technical guidance (already available)
- Guidance geared towards the “well informed lay person” (previously unavailable)
- A very simple guide for staff actually handling information – “do’s and don’ts” (previously unavailable)
It is also suggested that FAQs and a range of scenarios should be developed over time.
How can you input?
By looking through the existing data security guidance, including the four good practice guides below, and highlighting any gaps from your perspective. Suggesting common scenarios would also be useful. You can post your comments directly on Becta’s data security online discussion area, comment below or email me (paul.kelman@theia.org.uk) and I will collate the feedback and pass it on. Please respond by 13 February 2009.
The following guides describe procedures and suggest possible solutions to minimise the risk of data security incidents and comply with existing legislation. Of these four documents, Becta’s perception is that only the ‘Impact levels and labelling’ needs a major review. For the others, it is thought that a few wording changes will make them equally appropriate to FE and HE.
- Impact levels and labelling available in Word (727KB) PDF (246KB) and OpenDocument text format (636KB)
- Data encryption available in Word (3.4MB) PDF (3.7MB) and OpenDocument text format (3.2MB)
- Audit logging and incident handling available in Word (662KB) PDF (288KB) and OpenDocument text format (563KB)
- Secure remote access available in Word (170KB) PDF (135KB) and OpenDocument text format (101KB)
What are the next steps?
Feedback will be incorporated into the new guidance. We aim to circulate a draft version before the guidance is published at the end of March 2009.