UK Safer Internet Centre Announces Accredited Filtering Systems for UK Schools and Colleges
The UK Safer Internet Centre (UK SIC) is pleased to announce that Lightspeed Systems, Netsweeper and Smoothwall are the first filtering systems to be accredited under the new filtering accreditation scheme provided by the UK SIC.
As technology has developed, so have Filtering and Monitoring systems. The ever-changing online landscape has made this an increasingly complex area where schools and colleges have evidently needed more support in selecting, deploying and managing their filtering and monitoring systems.
Filtering Accreditation Scheme
The newly introduced accreditation scheme builds on the appropriate filtering and monitoring guidance provided by the UK Safer Internet Centre since it was first published in 2016. For schools in England, these have been embedded in Keeping children safe in education – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and subsequently Filtering and monitoring standards for schools and colleges – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) to help schools (and IT providers) comprehend what should be considered as ‘appropriate’ filtering and monitoring.
Using these appropriate filtering standards, the UK Safer Internet Centre, in partnership with the University of Bristol (REPHRAIN), assesses both the technical capabilities of filtering systems as well as verify their suitability for use in schools and colleges, to provide further trust and confidence in what systems schools decide to implement.
Accredited Systems
We are pleased to announce that Lightspeed Systems, Netsweeper and Smoothwall have successfully passed this assessment process and have achieved an accredited filtering system status. The UK Safer Internet Centre is now working on accrediting more filtering systems and will announce more in due course.
David Wright (Director of UK Safer Internet Centre) said: ‘To have this scheme in place, will afford schools and colleges greater confidence about the selection, suitability and effectiveness of their filtering systems. We have seen first-hand the importance of filtering and monitoring systems, and now, this added layer of validation can support schools to strengthen their own protections against harmful online content. We recognise Lightspeed Systems, Netsweeper and Smoothwall to have filtering systems suitable for schools and colleges and invite other providers to join the initiative.’
Brook McShane Bock, Chief Product Officer of Lightspeed Systems said: “This status validates the important work undertaken by our engineering, product, and security teams to ensure that students have a safe and secure experience using the internet, whilst promoting learning and exploration. We are proud to serve students in 42 countries around the world; especially in the UK where student wellbeing, mental health and an inclusive culture prevails throughout the education system.”
Perry Roach, CEO of Netsweeper said. ‘’We are pleased to collaborate with the UK’s Safer Internet Centre on their latest accreditation initiative. We see the UK as a leader in Student Safety around the world, and this collaboration is just one more step demonstrating why this is the case. By taking such significant strides in online safety, the UK continues to set a global benchmark for student safety and well-being.’’
Gavin Logan, Executive VP EMEA said “Smoothwall is delighted to be one of the first to achieve the UKSIC filter accreditation. As we drive towards helping every child to thrive in their digital lives, our market-leading, Smoothwall Filter is purposefully designed for UK education, from the ground up.
We welcome the accreditation as a tool to create clarity in the education sector whilst ensuring we create a safer digital environment for all students. As KCSIE puts more onus on senior leaders to make informed web filtering procurement decisions, simplifying this decision-making process is vital. We firmly believe the UKSIC accreditation helps to achieve this.”
For more information about the accreditation, please visit: