ICT

Data Breaches and the need to remain vigilant

We would like to take this opportunity to remind families of the importance of remaining alert to fraudulent or misleading emails that may appear to come from trusted organisations. Data breaches are becoming increasingly common, and while the school continues to manage and monitor systems carefully, awareness plays an important role in keeping personal information secure.

In the past week, a major American software supplier that provides CANVAS, a learning platform used by many universities and educational institutions in Australia, experienced a cyber incident. St Mary’s College is not a direct user of this system; however, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has recently utilised the platform for staff professional development. As a precaution, we ask families to be particularly vigilant when receiving emails that appear to come from teachers or school-related sources.

Some fraudulent emails can look very convincing. Being able to check the full email address of the sender is one of the most effective ways to confirm whether a message is genuine. To support families, we have provided an attached guide outlining how to view the full sender details across four major email platforms.

If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of an email claiming to be from the school, we encourage you to pause and contact us directly before responding.

Mrs Andrea Richards

andrea.richards@smseymour.catholic.edu.au