As the digital landscape evolves, so do the risks. Sadly, this means that schools worldwide, including those here in New Zealand, have become prime targets for cyber criminals due to the valuable personal data they store.

Increasingly schools and kura rely on digital products for administration and learning support, but this dependence also brings with it increased responsibility for safeguarding student privacy and safety.

Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) plays a crucial role ensuring that educational digital products meet privacy and security standards, to protect both tamariki and staff. But how has ST4S evolved, and why should schools and suppliers engage with this initiative?

What is Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S)?

ST4S is an initiative that evaluates digital products, providing an independent assessment of their privacy and security measures. Managed by Education Services Australia (ESA), on behalf of the Ministry of Education and its Australian peers, ST4S serves schools in New Zealand and Australia, ensuring digital products meet regional standards.

The ST4S website (st4s.edu.au/verify-abadge/) has a list of products that have earned a ST4S badge, signifying they meet minimum required standards and that comprehensive privacy and security information is available to support usage in schools. The initiative also offers schools clear, consistent reports to guide their product choices, helping them avoid potential risks.

Through the Ministry’s ST4S online portal, schools can access these confidential assessment reports, detailing how products perform against key privacy and security criteria, with recommendations for risk mitigation.

Currently schools and kura have self-service access to the assessment reports for 130 badged products, with a further 100+ reports available on request. Categories range from learning and assessment tools to school administration and educational games, with a growing number of products achieving the ST4S badge.

Growing engagement: a win for schools and suppliers

ST4S has assessed over 240 digital products, with more suppliers choosing to undergo the assessment process, including making improvements to meet ST4S standards, where required. The ST4S badge is an important signal for schools and kura, giving them confidence in the security of the products they use.

In the past year, additional products have been added to the ST4S online catalogue, with suppliers recognising the value of meeting ST4S standards. This increase reflects growing demand from schools for secure products, as well as suppliers’ recognition of the competitive edge the ST4S badge provides.

ST4S in Action

Clifton Terrace Model School used ST4S assessment reports to help choose a new Student Management System (SMS). Initially, their preferred product lacked two-factor authentication (2FA), a feature identified as essential by ST4S reports.

With this information, the school approached the supplier, requesting 2FA be implemented before proceeding. The supplier responded, adding the feature within months, and Clifton Terrace could move forward confidently, knowing they had selected a more secure, ST4Sassessed product.

This example demonstrates ST4S’s power to help schools make informed decisions and encourage suppliers to improve their products. The ultimate benefit? Better protection of student data.

Why suppliers should engage with ST4S

For suppliers, undergoing the ST4S assessment process not only proves their product’s security credentials but also offers a competitive advantage on both sides of the Tasman. Schools are increasingly prioritising privacy and security when selecting digital products – the ST4S badge stands out in a crowded market.

The assessment process is also collaborative. Suppliers receive feedback on how their products measure up against the standards, with recommendations for improvement. Importantly, there is no application fee to undergo this process.

 Suppliers who have successfully completed the ST4S assessment process have reported positive outcomes, such as increased interest from schools and improved relationships with existing clients.

As one CEO of an educational product company explained: “ST4S made us re-evaluate our privacy policies and security features. We came out with a stronger, more secure product, which boosted our market reputation.”

Principals save time and gain peace of mind

For principals and school administrators, evaluating product privacy and security can be complex and time-consuming. ST4S simplifies this process by providing clear reports on the security standards of potential products.

By choosing products with the ST4S badge, principals can have greater confidence that their students’ data is more protected.

Article by the Ministry of Education’s Digital Services Team.

For more information about Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) go to education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/digital-technology/choosing-safer-technologies-schools-and-kura and st4s.edu. au/verify-a-badge/

The future of digital safety in schools

As digital products become more central to learning and education, the role of initiatives like Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) becomes even more vital.

ST4S is one part of the Ministry of Education’s Cyber Security and Digital Support (CSDS) programme, established to strengthen cyber security and digital support in kura and schools, to provide better protection against escalating cyber-attacks and privacy breaches. This work aligns with the government’s Connected Ako: Digital & Data for Learning strategy, which aims to ensure equitable access to secure digital infrastructure.

In the coming year, the Ministry will be encouraging further products to join ST4S and is working closely with EdTechNZ to achieve this.

Expansion and more choice

This expansion will offer schools more choice and encourage suppliers to adopt ST4S as the key privacy and security standard for educational digital products used in schools and kura.

Both schools and suppliers play a crucial role in creating a safer digital environment. By supporting ST4S, they help protect students and their data from cyber risks while enabling them to thrive in a connected world.

The ST4S initiative has made significant strides over the past year. Whether you’re a teacher selecting new digital products for the classroom or a supplier developing them, using and participating in the ST4S programme ensures that digital safety remains at the forefront in New Zealand’s schools.

INTERFACE November 2024