KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has issued a policy guideline for schools that are acquiring a third-party School Information Management System (SIMS).

In a bulletin issued by the ministry, it was stated that during the 2016-2017 academic year, 16 schools using a particular system had their security breached by computer viruses.

Therefore, in an effort to ensure future integrity of schools’ data, the ministry has developed a policy guideline to establish procedures for the acquisition of (external) hosting and securing of data on web/cloud applications from third-party service providers.

Schools are advised to immediately adhere to the guideline, which, if implemented effectively, will minimise unauthorised access to sensitive information on the schools’ management system.

Included in the policy guideline are technical specifications, policy compliance details and definitions and terms.

School administrators are encouraged to ensure that when they approach a potential vendor, the vendor has a solid track record, has the necessary skills and capabilities, and possesses the values and traits similar to the institution; and they must consider the vendor’s support matrix and how they mesh with the needs of the school and privacy compliance.