Safe Internet access through
the Internet Service Provider
accreditation scheme
George Reubens
Senior Manager Technical Evaluation and Assurance
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.
National Digital Infrastructure for
Education
Connectivity: Connecting schools to provide
Data services: Management Information
Systems, Transfer of data and a range of
data analysis tools.
Data
Services
consistent performance and provide
consistent access to a quality set of
resources, services and applications for every
teacher and learner
Learning
Services
Connectivity
Infrastructure Services
Infrastructure services: The school’s
ICT infrastructure in terms of choice,
access, flexibility, efficiency and security.
Learning services: Improving the
management of learning and
availability of content.
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
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.
What are people doing about it?
• Industry
• Legislation
• Regional Broadband Consortium and
Local Authorities
• Internet Watch Foundation
• Child Exploitation and Online
Protection
Tackling Inappropriate Web Content
• URL Allow/Deny lists (Walled
Garden)
• Categorised URL Listing
• Dynamic Web Filtering
Email Filtering
• Account Restrictions
• Virus Checking
• Spam Checking
• Word lists
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
So what works best?
A mixture of everything
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
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)
Process
• Applicants apply to Becta
• Becta approaches suppliers to educational
institutions
• Commercial evaluation
• Technical evaluation
• Process and Procedures evaluation
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
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)
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
Monitoring
• Accredited providers are monitored every
quarter to ensure safety levels are maintained
or improved.
• Quality Audit Inspection
• Agree SLA & KPI’s
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?
QUESTIONS?
Contact Details
george.reubens@becta.org.uk
Telephone: 024 7679 7141