Safety, security, and privacy
Ensure the safety of learners, faculty, and staff using the latest security monitoring, communications, notification, and emergency response systems and technologies.
Security and safety have become high priorities across the globe. With a shocking number of physical and cybercrimes reported every year, it’s hard to ignore the need for a comprehensive system to keep everyone safe.
Ensuring safety, security, and privacy involves both protocols and physical systems. It increasingly involves integrated technology systems to ensure a holistic response to the various safety measures school systems must have in place in today's world. For emergency systems and access control, the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to an incident is improved when security personnel receive all the information they need to act.
Providing network protection means establishing firewalls to create a barrier between your trusted internal network and untrusted outside networks, keeping learners and staff connected while keeping others out. Installing integrated cameras means real-time video analytics that make it possible to identify specific faces, key in on unwanted or suspicious behavior, and pay closer attention to relevant areas at relevant times—while ignoring the immaterial data.
Keeping learners safe isn’t limited to monitoring and preventing criminal incidents. Natural disasters, fires, accidents, and health-related concerns are all part of campus safety. The responsibility falls on school leaders to investigate the latest options for security monitoring, communications, notification, and emergency response systems and technologies on today’s campuses. Smart security cameras, emergency notifications, and situation management tactics are all part of the safety equation.
One of the most pressing concerns today revolves around cybersecurity, especially as the educational world grapples with how to safely teach learners regardless of how and where learning takes place. Addressing these concerns is an overwhelming task for system leaders. Traditional methods no longer meet the needs of 21st century learning. However, this isn’t an issue exclusive to school systems. Companies and government institutions are also responsible for protecting employee and company data, and Microsoft has always been at the forefront of protecting personal and organizational security.
As you read, make note in your Education Transformation Notebook of how your school system currently protects personally identifiable data on file.
- What are the weak spots in your school system's security?
- What steps need to be taken to ensure learner privacy and organizational security?
Implementing a system that protects security and privacy requires policies and practices that support ongoing efforts to establish comprehensive school safety programming. Using the research from NASP, take note of which policy and practice recommendations to consider when developing your school's Safety, Security & Privacy action plan.
Create a plan for engaging your school safety team in assessing the safety of your school environment—both in-person and through remote settings.
What steps will you take to help ensure the safety of learners, faculty, and staff using the latest security monitoring, communications, notification, and emergency response systems and technologies?