Quick Guide to
managing your
SafetyNet Plus
software
Updated 27 August 2015
Contents
Overview ... 3
How the filtering software works ... 4
Logging on ... 5
Logging Off ... 5
Web Access Policy ... 6
Editing your school list ... 7
Creating a new rule ... 8
Staff Proxy ... 9
Creating other Admin users ... 12
Logs ... 12
Appendix A - Suggested timeline for introducing a managed web filtering service ... 13
Appendix B - Questions to be considered when unfiltering a website ... 14
Appendix C - Benefit analysis request for unfiltering a website ... 15
Appendix D - Questions to be asked when assigning Staff Proxy ... 16
Overview
A local ‘managed’ service for web filtering is recognised as good practice for schools. ‘Where the provision for e-safety was outstanding, the schools had managed rather than locked down systems. In the best practice seen, pupils were helped, from a very early age, to assess the risk of accessing sites and therefore gradually to acquire skills which would help them adopt safe practices even when they were not supervised.’
(Page 8, The Safe Use of New Technologies – Ofsted Ref No 0902311).
Where there is a benefit for learners a school should consider allowing access to websites that might have been previously filtered.
Schools should:
make decisions as to who manages this service (Teaching Staff, ICT Technicians or LA control)
establish procedures that allow sites to be opened or denied prepare both educators and learners to adopt safe practices monitor the use of the internet
See Appendix A for a suggested time line for introducing a managed web filtering service. The filtering software offered as a core part of the connection to the SWGfL Broadband, allows schools to control the access to web sites, and also allows sites to be opened or denied in certain time slots. There is also the functionality to allow selected people Staff Proxy – overriding the filtering system giving that member of staff full Internet access.
Schools will need to buy other software packages if they wish to extend their use of filtering techniques.
How the filtering software works
The filtering software acts on three levels:SWGfL filter lists
. These filter lists are provided by SWGfL. They have been assembled with
guidance from teachers as well as organisations such as the Internet Watch Foundation and Childnet. The rules in these filter lists prevent access to websites containing, for example, offensive materials (such as pornographic or violent imagery), distracting or time-wasting materials (such as social networking and non-educational games) and downloads of certain types of files (such as program or music files). Schools and local authorities cannot directly edit these provided filter lists, but they can influence what they contain, and they can select the ones they want to use. The filter lists are constantly evolving, and updates are automatically applied online to registered organisations.Local Authority filter lists
.
Local Authorities can create their own filter lists for use by their schools, either to extend filtering or to override rules in SWGfL filter lists.School filter lists
. In similar fashion to local authorities, schools can create their own filter
lists either to extend filtering or to override rules in SWGfL and local authority filters.Schools should only allow sites that have been filtered at a higher level
after completing a benefit analysis (See Appendices B and C).
The School filter lists could be dependent on the time of the day therefore allowing access to some sites after the learners have left for the day.
Logging on
A nominated user at your school will be sent the Establishment Identifier, Username and Password to log onto the filtering website:
https://swgflfiltering.rm.com
It is important that they do not share this log in.
Other users can be set up as administrators of the system with their own individual passwords and details.
A comprehensive help package can be found by clicking on the Help icon.
There is also a link to the Acceptable User Policy which you should read – it does indicate that you agree to follow the good practice outlined in this document.
Logging Off
Once you have finished with using the SafetyNet software you should always log off. Click on the Establishment identifier number in the top right hand corner to complete this task.
Web Access Policy
The first page displayed is the Web Access Policy
This shows the lists that have already been established either by SWGfL or by the LA. Because the lists are frequently updated there is no permanent copy of all the websites on these lists. There is more explanation of what each list is concerned with in the Security and Safety booklet from the SWGfL (See Bibliography).
Editing your school list
Clicking on the Your Rules Tab allows you to edit your school list.
Some schools have more than one list (for example one that allows YouTube and its associated servers on one tick). Choose the one you want to add the rule from the drop down list at the top.
If you want to edit a rule that already exists on the list place a tick in the box next to the rule and click on the Edit rule icon on the bottom right of the window.
The rule may have been set up with wildcards such as: www.clubpenguin.co.uk/*
The use of wildcards is important and is explained in a link at the bottom of the screen called Read the Help on rule syntax
It is especially important to make sure that the use of wildcards when allowing a site does not lead to inappropriate sites being allowed. As with all this type of work so rules should be tested.
Creating a new rule
Click on Add Web Rule.In the New Web Rule Text box enter a rule concerning the website
.
Make sure that you click in either the Type of rule box.
Always enter a comment to indicate why the site is to be used / not to be used, and then click on Create Rule. You should include the initials of the person who suggested the change.
Note that the rule may not be applied straight away and you should wait at least 5 minutes to see any changes.
Staff Proxy
Users can be allowed to bypass the filtering system by making them Staff proxy. Appendix D gives some questions that you might like to consider before allowing Staff Proxy Access to any user.
There are two stages to this and it is important that you complete this work in the correct order.
Every Year
Go to the Web Access Policy window, click on the Staff Proxy tab and set the date to which Staff proxy will be allowed. This should be to the end of the academic year forcing a review each year.
To set up individual Users – once only task Click on Users link in the full window
and then on Add new user.
Enter a Username, Full Name and their County email address. The County email address should be used as others may have security issues.
In the permissions box place a tick in the SafetyNet Staff Proxy access box.
The user will be sent an email with the password.
If you edit any users account make sure that you save any changes.
If the staff proxy does not work then it could be because there are old settings on the browser. These need to be deleted by following the instructions below:
In Internet Explorer select Tools > Internet Settings > General > Browsing history > Delete making sure that there is a tick in the Cookies box.
This information should be given to each user on how to switch to the Staff Proxy server.
You have been given Staff Proxy rights. You can switch to using the Staff Proxy server for the duration of a browser session, as follows:
1. Open Internet Explorer and go to ‘Tools/Internet Options’
2. Click on the ‘connections’ tab
3. Click on ‘LAN settings’, and tick ‘Use Proxy Server for your LAN’
4. Enter ‘staffproxy.swgfl.org.uk’ in the address box and specify port 8080
5. Click ‘OK’
6. Type ‘login.staffproxy’ into the address line and enter your filtering user name and password.
7. Click ‘OK’
When you have finished using the Staff Proxy, close your browser. You will be automatically switched back to using your school's usual proxy server, with filtering enabled.
At the end of the academic year (August) year all users will lose their staff proxy rights and these will need to be reset.
The Staff proxy allows staff to access any site outside of the filter and
must be used with caution especially in the classroom.
Staff using staff proxy should make sure
that the projector is turned off when they log in
never leave the computer unattended
Creating other Admin users
The same method as above can be used to set other users up as Admin users. Just place a tick in the SafetyNet Write box
It is good practice to keep the number of administrators down to a minimum. Depending on the size of the school only 2 or 3 people should be given these rights.
Logs
Each time a user with adminstration access completes a task there is a log kept. This can be found by clicking on the logs icon.
Appendix A - Suggested timeline for introducing a managed web filtering service
The steps should not be seen as compulsory and should be changed as appropriate to the individual school.
Appendix B -
Questions to be considered when unfiltering a website
It is unlikely that all the questions posed will be answered positively and schools will have to judge if the benefits outweigh the issues.
Appendix C -
Benefit analysis request for unfiltering a website
Website:
Originator:
Date:
Purpose of site:
Years:
Area
Question
Notes
Curriculum
Is there a clear curriculum reason to
allow this site?
Nature of
Materials
Are the materials on the website
suitable for this age range (and not
contentious in nature)?
Endorsement
Should the school endorse this site?
Social
Does the site have social aspects that
allow communication between users?
Outside of
School
Should users have unsupervised and/or
unfiltered access to this site outside of
school hours?
Reliability
Has the website been created by a
reliable source?
Age
Restrictions
Does the website have any age
restrictions?
Materials
Does the school retain the rights to any
materials uploaded onto the site?
Privacy
Is access to materials limited to
selected groups?
Registration
Do users have to register to use the
site?
Filtering Administrator Questions
Notes
All Users
Should the site be opened for all
users?
Permission
Should the request be referred to
SMT?
Benefit
Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Issues
Do you have policies to manage any
problems that arise?
Final Decision: Yes/No
Administrators Initials: ________
Date: _________________
Appendix D - Questions to be asked when assigning Staff Proxy
The Staff proxy allows staff to access any site outside of the filter and
must be used with caution especially in the classroom.
Staff using staff proxy should make sure
that the projector is turned off when they log in
never leave the computer unattended
Appendix E -
Using Staff Proxy
If you have been given Staff Proxy rights you can switch to using the Staff Proxy server for the duration of a browser session, as follows:
1. Open Internet Explorer and go to ‘Tools/Internet Options’
2.
Click on the ‘connections’ tab
3. Click on ‘LAN settings’, and tick ‘Use Proxy Server for your LAN’ 4. Enter ‘staffproxy.swgfl.org.uk’ in the address box and specify port 8080 5. Click ‘OK’
6. Each time you want unfiltered access type ‘login.staffproxy’ into the address line of your browser
7. Then enter your filtering user name and password. Click ‘OK’.
If the staff proxy does not work then it could be because there are old settings on the browser. These need to be deleted by:
In Internet Explorer select Tools > Internet Settings > General > Browsing history > Delete making sure that there is a tick in the Cookies box.
When you have finished using the Staff Proxy, close your browser. You will be automatically switched back to using your school's usual proxy server, with filtering enabled.
The Staff proxy allows staff to access any site outside of the filter and must be used with caution especially in the classroom.
Staff using staff proxy should make sure
that the projector is turned off when they log in
never leave the computer unattended
