Safe Internet access through the Internet Service Provider accreditation scheme

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Safe Internet access through the Internet Service
Provider accreditation scheme

• George Reubens
• Senior Manager Technical Evaluation and Assurance

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The vision

• The provision of appropriate ICT which delivers
  services that institutions really value and are
  prepared to buy. To deliver coherence leading
  to increased reliability at an affordable price
  that institutions recognise as sustainable.

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National Digital Infrastructure for Education
Connectivity Connecting schools to provide
consistent performance and provide consistent
access to a quality set of resources, services
and applications for every teacher and learner
Data services Management Information Systems,
Transfer of data and a range of data analysis
tools.
Data Services
Learning Services
Connectivity
Infrastructure Services
Learning services Improving the management of
learning and availability of content.
Infrastructure services The schools ICT
infrastructure in terms of choice, access,
flexibility, efficiency and security.
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Strategy and choice

• NDI deployment needs to be coherent, flexible,
  reliable and sustainable
• NDI design based on open standards and driven by
  a functional approach
• National Strategy supporting regional strategies
  and local choice
• joined up thinking
• procurement benefits
• approved suppliers

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A Safer Internet

• The Internet is an excellent learning tool but it
  comes with security and safety risks.
• The World Wide Web has content that can be used
  to teach but has content that can endanger a
  child.
• Internet communications can be a wonderful way to
  contact one another, but can just as easily be
  abused.

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What are people doing about it?

• Industry
• Legislation
• Regional Broadband Consortium and Local
  Authorities
• Internet Watch Foundation
• Child Exploitation and Online Protection

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Tackling Inappropriate Web Content

• URL Allow/Deny lists (Walled Garden)
• Categorised URL Listing
• Dynamic Web Filtering

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Email Filtering

• Account Restrictions
• Virus Checking
• Spam Checking
• Word lists

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Service Restrictions

• other Internet based services
• Service restrictions can prevent certain services
  from being used or control how services are used.
  
• Service restrictions can be controlled at the
  source of an Internet connection and may not need
  local technical knowledge.
• Service restrictions can be activated by blocking
  ports, file extensions and program names amongst
  others

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So what works best?

• A mixture of everything

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Becta Accreditation of Internet Services to
Education

• Started in 2001
• To provide educational institutions with an
  Internet Service provision that meets an agreed
  standard
• Updated as recent as September 2006
• Successful applicants are awarded a 12 month
  (rolling) license

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Eligibility

• Applications are invited from organisations that
  could have direct responsibility for providing a
  safe filtered internet and email service to the
  education sector-
• Local Education Authorities (LEA)
• Regional Broadband Consortium (RBC)
• Commercial Providers (i.e. BT, NTL)
• Product Suppliers (Cyberspace, Net Nanny)

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Process

• Applicants apply to Becta
• Becta approaches suppliers to educational
  institutions
• Commercial evaluation
• Technical evaluation
• Process and Procedures evaluation

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Requirements of a provider

• Internet Connectivity
• Web content filtering across five large
  categories
• Email provision, content filtering, virus
  checking and level of service.
• Internet services access and restrictions
• Support, escalation and issue response

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Web Content Filtering

• Adult (sexually explicit) material
• Violence (including weapons and bombs)
• Racist and hate material
• Illegal drug taking or the promotion of drug use
• Software piracy (including hacking)
• Illegal Child Abuse Images and Content (Evaluated
  by IWF)

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Products and Services?

• Minimise the time amount of time spent achieving
  the Accreditation
• No middle man when contacting the filtering
  providers during evaluations
• Products and services will be monitored by Becta
• Huge interest and application with first batch of
  accredited products expected by Christmas 2006

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Monitoring

• Accredited providers are monitored every quarter
  to ensure safety levels are maintained or
  improved.
• Quality Audit Inspection
• Agree SLA KPIs

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What can we do?

• Does your organisation use Internet safety tools
  and restrictions?
• Does your LA/RBC discuss Internet services with
  you?
• Does your organisation have something more than
  just a web filtering package?
• Do you know who to contact if you are concerned
  about the children's use of the Internet?
• Is your Internet provision provided by a Becta
  Accredited Internet Service Provider?

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• QUESTIONS?

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Contact Details

• george.reubens_at_becta.org.uk
• Telephone [phone]