School ICT News Bulletin No. 317 - 14/12/2023 Published by ICT Solutions eBulletin Items Important - A reminder to send your cease notification to Capita Powering off core network equipment over the Christmas holiday period Service Desk opening hours over the Christmas period Cyber security and introduction to Cyber Choices session for UK Education Staff Cyber Security Awareness Session for UK School Governors 1. Important - A reminder to send your cease notification to Capita As you will be aware, Norfolk County Council (NCC) are exiting from services currently provided by Capita on 31^st March 2024 and have provided Capita with a notice to terminate. Capita understand that there are, more than, 215 schools who currently have internet access via the current service agreement, of which they have received cease notifications from 85. This leaves 130 schools yet to inform Capita and as such we are contacting these schools to highlight what you will need to do to meet the exit deadline of 15^th February 2024 and to reiterate the consequences of not migrating from the current supplier to a new one. They have shared a document with us and it can be found at the following webpage - Norfolk Schools Cease Reminder For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or email educonnectivity@norfolk.gov.uk 2. Powering off core network equipment over the Christmas holiday period We would like to ask schools to refrain from turning off the power to the core networking equipment over the forthcoming Christmas holiday period. Core networking equipment includes routers, switches and servers, often in a wall or floor cabinet. These devices are monitored by ourselves and the broadband suppliers and turning off the power results in false alarms. This could potentially result in your school incurring a charge for an engineer visit. Services Affected: Schools Internet, email and any service accessed via the internet Services Not Affected: All other school systems which do not access the internet When: 20th December 2023 - 3rd January 2024 What You Need To Do: If there is no alternative to powering off the communications cabinet and core equipment then please contact the Service Desk to advise us in advance For More Information: Please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk 3. Service Desk opening hours over the Christmas period To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the Christmas holiday period, we will be changing the opening hours to reflect this. Our opening hours will be as follows: December 21^st - 08:30 to 16:00 December 22^nd - 08:30 to 12:00 December 23^rd to January 1^st 2024 - Closed Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Tuesday, January 2^nd 2024. We would like to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year! For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk 4. Cyber security and introduction to Cyber Choices session for UK Education Staff Next session is January 3rd 2024 This one hour webinar is designed and delivered by a former teacher to highlight basic cyber security advice that will help individuals improve their personal cyber security and by extension that of their school. The session will : Highlight current trends and provide actionable steps that attendees can take. Highlight nationally approved resources like those created for the education sector by the National Cyber Security Centre. Introduce the National Crime Agency's Cyber Choices Programme. Highlight free local and national Police resources that can support the school further in this area. This event is free and you can book your ticket via - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ersou/1041685. In one session alone last year there were over 195 attendees! 5. Cyber Security Awareness Session for UK School Governors Next session is January 10th 2024 This two-hour webinar is designed to bring governors up to speed around threats facing individuals and schools as well as highlighting more strategic areas that school management / governors should be aware of. The session will : Highlight current trends against individuals and the education sector and provide actionable steps that attendees can take. Raise awareness of the school's duties around cyber security. Inform the attendees around the questions to ask to ensure schools are fulfilling their duties. Highlight free local and national Police resources that can support the school further in this area. The event is free and you can book your ticket via - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ersou/1045976.

School ICT News Bulletin No. 317 - 14/12/2023

Published by ICT Solutions

eBulletin Items

Important - A reminder to send your cease notification to Capita
Powering off core network equipment over the Christmas holiday period
Service Desk opening hours over the Christmas period
Cyber security and introduction to Cyber Choices session for UK Education Staff
Cyber Security Awareness Session for UK School Governors

1. Important - A reminder to send your cease notification to Capita

As you will be aware, Norfolk County Council (NCC) are exiting from services currently provided by Capita on 31^st March 2024 and have provided Capita with a notice to terminate. Capita understand that there are, more than, 215 schools who currently have internet access via the current service agreement, of which they have received cease notifications from 85. This leaves 130 schools yet to inform Capita and as such we are contacting these schools to highlight what you will need to do to meet the exit deadline of 15^th February 2024 and to reiterate the consequences of not migrating from the current supplier to a new one.

They have shared a document with us and it can be found at the following webpage - Norfolk Schools Cease Reminder

For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or email educonnectivity@norfolk.gov.uk

2. Powering off core network equipment over the Christmas holiday period

We would like to ask schools to refrain from turning off the power to the core networking equipment over the forthcoming Christmas holiday period. Core networking equipment includes routers, switches and servers, often in a wall or floor cabinet. These devices are monitored by ourselves and the broadband suppliers and turning off the power results in false alarms. This could potentially result in your school incurring a charge for an engineer visit.

Services Affected: Schools Internet, email and any service accessed via the internet

Services Not Affected: All other school systems which do not access the internet

When: 20th December 2023 - 3rd January 2024

What You Need To Do:

If there is no alternative to powering off the communications cabinet and core equipment then please contact the Service Desk to advise us in advance

For More Information:

Please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk

3. Service Desk opening hours over the Christmas period

To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the Christmas holiday period, we will be changing the opening hours to reflect this.

Our opening hours will be as follows:

December 21^st - 08:30 to 16:00

December 22^nd - 08:30 to 12:00

December 23^rd to January 1^st 2024 - Closed

Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Tuesday, January 2^nd 2024.

We would like to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk

4. Cyber security and introduction to Cyber Choices session for UK Education Staff

Next session is January 3rd 2024

This one hour webinar is designed and delivered by a former teacher to highlight basic cyber security advice that will help individuals improve their personal cyber security and by extension that of their school.

The session will :

Highlight current trends and provide actionable steps that attendees can take.
Highlight nationally approved resources like those created for the education sector by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Introduce the National Crime Agency's Cyber Choices Programme.
Highlight free local and national Police resources that can support the school further in this area.

This event is free and you can book your ticket via - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ersou/1041685. In one session alone last year there were over 195 attendees!

5. Cyber Security Awareness Session for UK School Governors

Next session is January 10th 2024

This two-hour webinar is designed to bring governors up to speed around threats facing individuals and schools as well as highlighting more strategic areas that school management / governors should be aware of.