Whether for an entire district, a single campus, or one classroom, allowing authorized access to a computer network can be fraught with challenges. The login process should be fairly seamless to approved users, giving them speedy access to approved Web sites, databases, and other sources of information. It also should be tough on unauthorized…

When it comes to IT, there has always been an important link between data center control and client flexibility. As computing power increases, so do the potentially crippling threats to security, productivity and financial stability. This article talks about Dell's On-Demand Desktop Streaming solution which is designed to centralize complete…

In this article, four directors discuss the security challenges that keep them worried and what they do about it. Dwayne Alton describes how his school district, IT School District of Lee County, Fort Meyers, Florida, collaborated with Cisco and installed an intrusion detection system which alerts IT staff when someone creates their own access…

The various scandals around social networking abuses have garnered lots of press in the past couple of years. Predators, bullying, slander, and harassment of all kinds on sites such as MySpace and Facebook are increasingly the subjects of horror stories and play into a renewed wave of fear about the dangers online. However, once the fear of safety…

In this article, the author relates how he discovered that not all Wi-Fi networks are secure. As such, he developed several strategies on how he can be secured whenever he connects to the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection. He discusses how one can change passwords, explains the process of encryption, and provides suggestions on other security…

Wireless connectivity in schools is all the rage, and many school systems have at least gotten their feet wet with a wireless lab or a few portable laptop carts. But Bijaya Devkota, the chief information officer of Charles County Public Schools, has done what many school systems only dream of--implemented universal wireless access throughout his…

Anytime, anywhere, learning provides opportunities to create digital learning environments for new teaching styles and personalized learning. As part of making sure the program is effective, the safety and security of students and assets are essential--and mandated by law. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) addresses Internet content…

It is not always easy to find the balance between protecting students from Internet dangers and distractions and reaping its benefits--but it is certainly on every district's tech priority list. Sharnell Jackson, chief e-learning officer for the 415,000-student Chicago Public Schools, and Miguel Guhlin, director of instructional technology…