Security Features
The Overseer applications were designed with security in mind:
- Backup and restore utilities are integrated into Overseer Admin and Overseer Grades to enable periodic backup of a complete database to a single file for potential future restoration. These utilities may also be used to transport a Grades database between home and school computers, or to allow a secretary to transfer a school’s Main database between home and school computer (e.g. to update a database over the summer).
- All
files in Overseer databases,
including Grades databases, are
encrypted to prevent alteration by any means other than the Overseer applications
themselves. Any modification of any
file by a back-door method will make the file unreadable, in which case
the Grades file (or entire
- Passwords are required by all users of Overseer LAN and Overseer Grades. These are administered via Overseer Admin. Each teacher’s password grants access to his/her Grades database files. It also grants access (via Overseer LAN) to student data for all students in classes for which that teacher has been assigned responsibility: for one or more subject components or subject areas, or as home-room teacher.
- When a license is purchased for Overseer Admin (or for the Overseer Suite), a shared password may be assigned to control access to the Overseer Admin application, and thereby indirectly control access to Overseer LAN and Overseer Grades as well. Unlicensed (i.e. small school) users of Overseer Admin must secure the school’s database by restricting physical access to the PC on which Overseer Admin is running.
- When a license is purchased for Overseer Admin (or for the Overseer Suite), Admin users may explicitly enable or disable all teacher access to the school’s Main database. This ensures that dedicated access to the database is available for one or more critical activities that an administrative user may wish to perform. Many of the functions of Overseer Admin can only be performed when no teachers are logged into Overseer LAN. Similarly, teachers are prevented from logging into Overseer LAN when Overseer Admin is performing a functions requiring exclusive access. These built-in restrictions help maintain database integrity.
- Only one user at a time is permitted to open the Overseer Admin application. This prevents update activities which could have conflicting impact on the same database records from occurring. An existing user of Overseer Admin must close the application before another user can successfully open it. This limitation does not apply to teachers using Overseer LAN. The latter is a multi-user application which permits many teachers to work simultaneously.
- To provide necessary access to the student data of a teacher who may be sick or temporarily absent, a Specialist password may be designated via Overseer Admin and may be given to a supply teacher who needs access to that teacher’s Grades database. The same Specialist password can also be given to a specialist teacher who needs occasional access to all student data via Overseer LAN.
- Overseer Admin can automatically generate unique email/login IDs and random passwords to be assigned to students in the event that they are given access rights on the LAN, or have personal email accounts. Student accounts must still be created and managed separately by the network administrator to provide network or email access; Overseer simply logs the unique names assigned to student accounts. Teachers can generate lists of these login IDs and passwords to allow them to monitor student accounts. However, no access to any of the Overseer applications is ever granted to students.
- Corruption of database index tables can easily occur as the result of operating system crashes, power failures etc. A Database Rebuild utility is provided within Overseer Admin to automatically rebuild all database tables in an attempt to restore the database’s integrity. This is a powerful tool which also packs database tables to recover space vacated by deleted records.
- In order to prevent accidental loss or corruption of data during browsing, most screens of Overseer Admin and Overseer LAN disable editing of on-screen data until the user explicitly clicks an Edit button. This methodology is also used selectively by Overseer Reports but is not used by Overseer Grades. In the latter case, the results of editing are only saved when the user explicitly saves the active file following an editing session.
- Custom report card design files created via Overseer Reports can be password-protected to prevent unauthorized modifications to the designs by third parties. Authorized users of design files may install them without a password. Unauthorized schools will be prevented from using report card design files because of the embedded custom school name and address which will be printed on each report card.
