Who do you trust to keep your children’s personal data safe? Who protects their educational data in schools? Who currently has access to it? And who should have access to it?
These questions are more pressing than ever before, with over three-quarters (78%) of UK schools having experienced at least one type of cyber-incident, according to a recent National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and National Grid for Learning (LGfL) audit.
Data breaches
With the sheer number of data breaches occurring in UK schools, serious questions must be asked about why users are still handing over the keys to their children’s data in the UK when there are other options available.
In the face of increased cyberattacks on educational institutions and the introduction of tools that process more data than ever, parents and guardians must be more aware of how their children’s data is accessed, stored, and shared by their schools and colleges. This is according to OmniIndex, the secure Web3 data platform.
Data storage and data analytics
The use of data analytics has become increasingly popular in schools to support teaching efforts
The use of data analytics has become increasingly popular in schools to support teaching efforts. Processing this data can provide real-time insights on how to better support children with their learning and reveal where they are currently letting down students; both on an individual level and nationally with regional comparisons and curriculum analysis.
However, most data storage and data analytics platforms cannot perform analytics on data unless it is first decrypted, which means schools and their governing bodies are too often handing over the keys to students’ personal and sensitive data.
Any decrypted data is vulnerable to attack
“There are a number of reasons why these attacks are possible and successful, but the heart of the problem is a simple truth: children’s data is too valuable to simply keep locked away,” explains Simon Bain, Founder, and CEO of OmniIndex.
He adds, “Put simply: Decrypted data is incredibly vulnerable to attack. Passing children’s decrypted data between various local authorities, educational institutions, and service providers puts it at great risk."
Keep your keys to yourself!
Parents and guardians should be asking who is accessing and viewing their children’s data"
Simon Bain continues, "Parents and guardians should be asking who is accessing and viewing their children’s data and whether that is necessary. With the technology that exists today, there is no reason for anybody but the data owner to be able to see their personal and private data."
He adds, "It’s just asking for trouble if you hand the keys away and let others in. At OmniIndex we have a simple message: Keep your keys to yourself!"
Modern blockchain and encryption technology
Simon Bain concludes, “This is because, with modern blockchain and encryption technology, the same insights traditionally produced on vulnerable decrypted data can be gained from encrypted data. In other words: the same real-time insights on how to better support children, without the risk."
He adds, "These insights can then be shared directly and securely with the people, businesses, and governments who need them without the private and personal data ever leaving the blockchain, and therefore, without it ever leaving the hands of the data owner. We firmly believe that your data is yours and platforms like ours are built to stop forcing data owners to give up responsibility for that data."