The Impacts of GDPR on CCTV in Schools
Up until 2018, the Data Protection Act (DPA) governed how organisations handled personal data. However, in May of that year, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) swept across the EU. From that moment, data privacy transformed for both the public and organisations alike.
As with most new regulations, guidelines became less flexible. The penalties for anti-lawful behaviour became more severe, and public data became more protected than ever. However, for businesses – especially those in an educational setting – the responsibility to collect and handle data also changed overnight.
Luckily, there a handful of surveillance system manufacturers that can help businesses meet these strict GDPR guidelines. Verkada is one such producer.
Below we outline the impacts of GPDR on surveillance within schools, and look at how a Verkada system keeps businesses secure, as well as compliant.
Forming a Safer Campus with Surveillance
Before we investigate the impact of GDPR, let us look at the benefits of campus surveillance systems. For parents, the safety and security of their child is a major concern. Therefore, for school administrators, the measures they take to protect their campus has never been more important.
A key benefit of a smart camera system is, of course, how you respond to an emergency. Modern security systems allow for remote access and sharing of live video streams. This means security staff no longer need to be static in the control room. They can stay mobile and react to incidents as they happen, ideally stopping them from taking place altogether.
With a security system providing total coverage of your campus – including exits and entrances – it becomes easier to track intruders and thwart unwanted behaviour. Premeditating the risk and identifying hotspots that are vulnerable to crime are benefits that surveillance systems bring.
A further benefit to campus staff comes from the non-stop monitoring and analysis a smart system can perform. Modern software can detect faces and objects and send alerts to staff about out-of-hours activity. Instead of requiring personnel to operate the camera system, staff can instead carry out other jobs with the reassurance that if an incident takes place, they will be informed.
How Regulation Shapes Your Use of CCTV
The benefits of smart surveillance technology are clear; 24-hour monitoring, automated detection (and notifications), and the ability to share content remotely. However, with the camera always rolling and hours of footage captured, we must consider the question of privacy and storage. Let us look at how GDPR guidelines have changed the way we keep data private and secure.
From small nurseries to large secondary schools, compliance with GDPR is a necessity. There are no shortcuts with GDPR. Some of the broader measures include appointing a Data Protection Officer, training staff about data privacy, maintaining data policy documents and of course keeping personal data secure. However, the introduction of the new regulations has specifically influenced how we handle CCTV data.
Schools are of course encouraged to use camera security for the safeguarding of students and pupils. Unlike other areas of data protection, it is not a requirement of GDPR to capture permission before using surveillance hardware. Instead, schools must make it clear that recordings are taking place. CCTV must now be clearly visible alongside signage that explains cameras are in use.
Once captured, footage must be stored. To do this securely, your system should perform checks and support the encryption of data. Without these measures, some older surveillance technology are open to breaches.
A further impact that GDPR has had on surveillance data is in regards to documentation. Companies should now be writing Surveillance Policies to document each security measure. These written policies not only provide a resource to staff, but also show proof to the ICO that you are taking data protection seriously.
Enhancing School Security with a Verkada Camera System
As the requirements for school surveillance change, so should the technology. One of the leading manufacturers of surveillance technology is Verkada. A specialist in smart security systems, the company develop cameras with the highest encryption and security standards.
Their smart camera systems can help your school become GDPR compliant, and include the following privacy features:
- Remote Access: secure sharing of live feeds with remote users (via SMS or link)
- No Port-Forwarding: unlike traditional CCTV systems, which often rely on port-forwarding of NVRs/DVRs to enable remote access, Verkada systems have no open ports.
- User Audit Logs: enhanced tracking and logging of user activity within the system
- Data Encryption: all data is encrypted to the highest standard whilst in transit or rest
- Secure Login and User Management: single sign-on and 2 factor authentication are used to ensure user identity management
To find out more about a Verkada system, contact the Tellivue team today.
Whether you need a single camera or a whole network of them, the team here at Tellivue are able to work with you to find the best security solution
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you, do not hesitate to give us a call today on 020 7846 3300 or send an e-mail to [email protected] and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.
