ICT Solutions News Desk

** The below only applies to schools using Groupcall xporter (typically installed on the server), not those schools who send in tab files for generating/updating their NSIX accounts **

Groupcall continually monitor the data feed connection between your school’s MIS and their central servers.

With the Summer break approaching, we would like to advise that if you are looking to undertake any maintenance work on your network that might impact the connectivity between your MIS database and their central servers could you please inform us before the Summer holiday period. Such maintenance work might include:

• Changing Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• Upgrading or replacing your existing server
• Changing MIS provider

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

We have been notified of a change being made by Google, commencing June 27th, and continuing over the following weeks thereafter. The change will affect files and folders which are held in multiple places within Google Drive. You will now start to see a banner appear which will warn you of the impending change. 

What does this mean for me?

If you have folders or files which are stored in multiple locations within Google Drive, whilst one location is preserved, all others will show a shortcut to the item. Any items that you have shared previously will retain exactly the same permissions.

What do I need to do?

You do not need to do anything, this change will take place automatically.

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

We have received the following notification from Google -  

Starting June 14th, 2022 we’ll introduce a Google Workspace search history setting on the My Activity page. It will control search data storage from core Google services.

To get to My Activity, within your Google account go to - Data and Privacy > History > My Activity

Existing and new Google Workspace for Education users under 18 will have Google Workspace search history OFF by default. However, users can turn the setting ON if they choose to do so. Web & App Activity will be disabled from their account and they will be unable to turn it on.

Searches performed in Google Workspace products like Gmail and Drive before June 14th, will appear in Google Workspace search history when it launches.

Google Workspace search history control will enable users to:

• Store and use search data only for core Google Workspace services
  • Users can get faster and more relevant email and file searches in Google Workspace services like Gmail and Drive only when Google Workspace search history is enabled.                                                                       
  • Currently, when any of the Web & App Activity settings is enabled (admin or end user), we collect search data from both Google Workspace core and additional services. When Workspace search history launches, it will only store search data from Workspace core services, and the Web & App Activity setting will only store search data from Google’s additional services.

• Enable or disable Google Workspace search history from their My Activity page.                                         
  • Users can also change their Workspace search history retention preferences at any time and configure automatic deletion periods of 3, 18, or 36 months.

Google Workspace search history will be available in Gmail and Drive at launch; more Google Workspace services may be added in the future.

Note: Data stored in Google Workspace search history is only used across Google Workspace core services to improve the Google Workspace user experience.

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

Information for Academies regarding cancelling an annual contract for items such as Google NSIX/Microsoft emails, Chromebook Management or ICT support contracts etc. 

If you do not wish to renew an annual contract for any services, please email details of the contracts you wish to cancel to ict@norfolk.gov.uk and we will remove the relevant item from SLA Online.

Please ensure that you notify us in writing of any cancellation of ICT support (Basic or Enhanced) contract by 31st May 2022 and all other services by 31st August 2022, before the contract renewal is rolled forward to the next 12 months. 

Please note that unticking any items under 'Annual order', will not cancel the contract renewal.

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

Microsoft have announced that from October 1^st 2022, they will be disabling “Basic Authentication” to the M365 platform. This means any client (user app, script, integration, etc.) using Basic Auth for one of the affected protocols will be unable to connect.

What is basic authentication?

In simple terms, it’s gaining access from an application in a less secure way. An example being your email account.

Why are they making these changes?

Basic Authentication is an outdated industry standard, and threats posed by it have only increased in the time since Microsoft originally stated that this change was being implemented. 

What will happen after October 1st?

The app will receive an HTTP 401 error: bad username or password.

What do I need to do?

In preparation for the change, please check to make sure none of your users are using basic authentication. For schools who have an ICT Solutions technician, we will be working with you to identify any potential affected users.

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