WEYBURN - Delivering information throughout the South East Cornerstone Public School Division in a safe and secure fashion is no mean feat.
Sixty years ago it was mainly done with pen, paper, dial-up telephones and a lot of verbal messaging along with the white chalk on blackboards.
Those tools bear no resemblance to what is utilized today to deliver information while keeping schools and their cyberworld secure in the South East Public Cornerstone School Division.
Brian Belinsky, manager of information systems for Cornerstone, was in the division’s boardroom in Weyburn on Dec. 20 during a general business session to explain how the various loads of information are transmitted in today’s world, while maintaining a secure system of communication.
Belinsky led off his presentation by pointing to some statistics on a screen that showed that ransomware breaches grew by 41 per cent in North America last year and 54 per cent of organizations experienced cyber attacks in the last 12 months, while 34 per cent of the data breaches in the education sector involved online phishing. He noted that outdated software and unpatched systems are the common entry points for cyber attacks, and therefore cyber security training continues to be a vital component to enhance security within educational systems and institutions.
Citing some examples from a recent webinar he attended, he added how security breaches are becoming commonplace on mobile (handheld) devices and found the information gathered at this session as being “extremely insightful".
Extra levels of security can be attained by improving password codes and understanding the lack of cyber security while using more public Wi-Fi sites, as an example, he said.
As a result of the growing concerns, patching is done weekly within Cornerstone now, not monthly, and “senior leadership saw the value” of having a tightened security system.
While teaching and administration work has not been “cut in half” by cyber systems, it “can make things easier or better”, Belinsky said, before introducing a series of photos on screen showing the faces of Cornerstone’s 10-member cyber information team.
Belinsky rolled through dozens of examples of the role these information systems play in education such as accessibility, efficiency and optimizing resources as well as enhancing learning experiences, global reach outs that included exchanges and data-driven insights.
“In an increasingly digital world, exposure to and proficiency in information systems are essential skills for students,” said Belinsky, a former teacher.
“Integrating systems into education prepares students for future academic pursuits and careers where digital literacy is often a prerequisite.”
Belinsky took some time to discuss the support systems for the delivery of information within the division that included not only the education system, but also the business and enterprise side of the division’s activities and the core of the process that makes it all work effectively, including back-up systems.
The benefits are manyfold, he suggested, since strong cyber information systems allow for better resource management, improved decision making, and community engagement as well as the enhanced security.
He also talked about choosing the right systems for the needs of the organizational goals, budget and technical infrastructures.
Implementation considerations were then discussed, as were system challenges and solutions.
Belinsky spoke about how some more remote schools in the division have been challenged by lack of access to stronger Wi-Fi outlets, but that is being covered now by provincial assistance and, he said, 17 Cornerstone schools received system upgrades this school year.
He emphasized the importance of upgrades by noting that when he started on this journey in the then-new SECPSD about 13 years ago, the schools were reporting cyber systems that were using three, five and 10 Mbps whereas now they have a minimum of 10 (one school) with most schools having at least 200 megabits per second, while another four have 500 mbps and the Estevan Comprehensive School boasts of 1 gigabit per second since it is home to the back-up security system among other elements that can be brought to the table for security and information that will enhance education now and into the future.
Near the end of his presentation, Belinsky added, “there is engagement in all sectors of our world. We can use this to engage kids, drive kids,” to fresh understandings of global communications.
In thanking Belinsky, Cornerstone board chairwoman Audrey Trombley noted how beneficial it was for board members to learn about all the complications that can arise in that sector and have some comfort in knowing that assistance is available, “when we need it.”
