NextERP Data Security

Educators and parents the world over have realised the possibility of data security breaches that may occur in a school. As schools are gearing up for a digital future, they have to organize the existing information systematically. They have to safeguard the personal information of not only students, but also parents, teachers, and non-teaching staff to avert financial loss, physical or psychological damage or even threats to individuals’ lives. Since schools cannot compromise on the safety of their stakeholders, they have to bolster their existing security measures to prevent tragic incidents on school campuses. In such a scenario, NextERP, an administrative management tool with advanced data encryption features, come in handy for school administrators. 

Highlights

• NextERP, an administrative management tool affords the protection of personal data of all stakeholders. 
• It runs on cloud technology, the advantage of which is that all data can be accessed from anywhere and at any time by the users. 
• Its advanced data encryption features prevent unauthorised people from accessing any personal data. 
• It allows the school management to grant permission to a few authorized personnel to access confidential and sensitive information about the school’s stakeholders.
• Its cloud-based technology takes care of the administrative fuss afflicting schools. 

Introduction

In March 2019, cloud giant Box found that there were several inadvertent data leakages of its clients, including several US schools, due to the sharing of public links of their files in their account. This is just one of the numerous instances of lapse of cybersecurity that cause businesses to suffer loss in terms of finances and trust of clients – in case of schools, of the parents and administrators. Data leakages and other lapses of cybersecurity can occur due to intentional or unintentional manipulation, and can originate from both internal and external sources. This is why ERP software security has to be top-notch in order to combat these inconveniences. 

NextERP, a school management software by Next Education, India’s leading education solutions provider, has recently scored as an Excellent Web Application in terms of cybersecurity and was awarded the Web Application Pentest Certificate provided by Beagle Security. It provides infallible security measures today’s schools need so that they can manage their school data online without worrying about data security.  

Let us take a look at NextERP’s data security features. 

1. Data encryption: Imagine a situation in which you and your child’s vital information get into the wrong hands. What can be the possible consequences? 
2. A child’s academic credentials can be arbitrarily altered.
3. Along with the child, the parent’s information can also be tampered with. 
4. Student data can be used to manipulate children into unwanted actions, putting their lives at risk. For instance, online gaming and gambling groups such as the Blue Whale targeted teenagers through their unprotected online data, and led to the death of a significant number of children. 
5. Leakage of financial data, and consequently, hacking of accounts can lead to significant financial losses of the school.

As parents, we expect schools to guarantee the safety of the information that we give to them. And schools can’t dismiss their legitimate fears. With the introduction of NextERP,  malpractices that result in the pilfering of information have been taken care of to a great extent. All personal and confidential files and documents of parents, students, staff and teachers are encrypted using Amazon Web Services S3 SSE. It means the actual information is translated into a random combination of numbers and characters that appears unreadable to a person or entity without authorised access

Cloud computing: All applications and databases of NextERP are stored in virtual cloud networks. It means that the data can be accessed from any location with the aid of an Internet connection. Since infrastructure failure is minimal, the likelihood of data getting lost is reduced considerably.   

Role-based access system: NextERP has a role-based access system. It means that roles are assigned by the school administrators to different users with permissions set on them. Every role has a set of pre-defined actions that a user is expected to perform at the discretion of the school administrator.

Account security: The role-based security feature of NextERP curbs access or limits operation according to a user’s assigned role within a system. To put it simply, it ensures that an account is with the correct user. For instance, if a parent wants to access any information concerning their child’s academic performance, then they have to verify themselves, either by entering their child’s date of birth or any specific information the system asks for. This averts risks that can result in data theft. 

Two-factor authentication and strong password policies: NextERP has a strong password policy in place and it is easy for users to reinstate a new password. If the old password entered is incorrect or not accepted by the software due to technical glitches, then a One Time Password (OTP) is sent to the mobile number registered with a user’s account. 

Strong access control policies: In case a school administrator encounters problems with using NextERP, then they can request for help from the support team. However, the role of the support team is only restricted to giving guidance on the various features of NextERP. Also, if they wish to trawl through the school data, they have to request access from the school administrator. The school administrator can exercise their discretion in granting permission to make any changes in the existing data. If ‘write’ access is not given, they can just view/ read the school data. So, parents can be assured of the fact that their personal details will not be leaked out. 

In a technology-driven world, the storage and management of data have become a matter of great concern for schools. Considering the increasing rates of cybercrimes, schools have started making significant investments in ERP systems. They have now realised the importance of having an administrative management system that caters to the needs and interests of a wide spectrum of stakeholders including parents. NextERP equips parents with the skills to use its various features in a hassle-free manner and also aims to raise awareness of the importance of secure ERP systems in avoiding information malpractices.