There comes a time where your SIMS database has something wrong with it, that will ultimately require a custom patch to fix the problem.  Traditionally once Capita request your data, you would have sent it on a CD/DVD or uploaded the files to their FTP server.  However there has never been any requirement to Encrypt the data before sending it.

Working in an environment where data of this nature is very sensitive, there is a pressing need to ensure that data is sent in a secure way.  After all the last thing that we would want to see is our school names splashed across the national news papers headlines.

There is plenty that you can do to ensure that your data is secure, if you send the data on CD/DVD or if you send via file upload.  The answer of course is simple - Zip it up and use Encryption with a secure passkey.

Capita only support compressed data that is in either self extracting EXE, ZIP or RAR format.  To compress to this format you will need a commercial tool such as WinZip (www.winzip.com) or WinRAR (www.rarlabs.com).  Both of these commercial companies offer a free trial version of the software.  It is important to remember that this is only a trial version, you will be required to purchase a licence if you continue to use the software.

Both WinZip and WinRAR offer great support for file compression with Encryption.  They are easy to use and also integrate into the Windows Shell, meaning that you can Right click on a file and send to an archive.  It is worth remembering that both of these utilities will default to just compressing the files - this will not be enough to secure your data.  Always choose the option to add to an Archive, this will allow you to select additional options such as encryption.

The other key aspect of keeping your data secure is to use a strong encryption key.  You could use a Random number generator inside of an Excel Spreadsheet, or you could use a web-based service such as http://www.goodpassword.com/ to generate a password.  Always use Copy and Paste when recording and entering this password, otherwise the recipiant will not be able to unscramble your file.

Now that you have an encryption key, the next phase is to ensure that the recipent has the key.  If you have a support call with Capita or your support helpdesk, then add the Encryption key to the logged call, the support staff should know what to do with it, if they have requested data.  If you can't send the data or Encryption key electronically, then ensure that you send the data and Encryption key separately.  Always leave a 2 day gap in posting to ensure that there is no chance that the 2 will be delivered at the same time.

The data is useless to the support staff without the encryption key, like wise the encryption key is meaningless without the data.

As licensing WinZip or WinRAR may be an issue for some schools, the next best thing would be to use free archiving software such as 7-Zip (www.7-zip.org) or IZArc (www.IZArc.org) both of these free tools offer encryption or password protection.  The real bonus is that schools don't have to pay for a bit of software that they might only use once or twice.