“The
Tablet is of no value or use to someone who may want to steal it. If someone
steals the Tablet, it can be tracked and traced using GPS technology, so you
can find out where the person is physically and it can narrow it down to a building
and, you can also shut down the Tablet and wipe off the content. So, we want to
make it very clear to persons who may have nefarious intentions that there is
really nothing to gain by trying to steal one of these Tablets”.
State Minister in the
Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Julian Robinson at the JIS
Think Tank on Thursday August 14th 2014
It’s
like I said, the Tablet in Schools Project, part of the E-Learning II Program
has a dual aim; introduce Interactive Learning among Jamaican students and
encourage Children with the idea that they can pursue careers in ICT
(Information and Computer Technology).
So
says Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology Energy and Mining
Julian Robinson in the article “Tablet
programme to strengthen innovation among students - Robinson”, published
Tuesday, August 19, 2014, The Jamaica
Observer. Still not sure on the
Model of the Tablets being distributed, as no pictures or even reviews have
surfaced, albeit the subsidized price is alledged to be JA$5000.
The
Tablets are a part of the TIS (Tablet in Schools) Project Test Pilot that will
see some 25,000 Tablets being provided and distributed by Telecom Provider
Digicel, Innovative Corporate Solutions, Productive Business Solutions and
GeoTechVision Enterprises.
These
Tablets will be distributed to some 38 Primary, High, Junior High Schools and
Colleges across Jamaica in a Test Pilot to see how well Tablets enhance
Teaching various subjects as detailed in my blog article entitled
“Tablet
In Schools Project launched for September 2014 – How Teachers Benefit as Female
interest in ICT Industry Blossoms”.
As
my article points out, it will also have the nice side-effect of increasing the
number of females that take an interest in the ICT (Internet and Computer
Technology) Industry, as there is a shortage of their numbers in that field. It
will also help male students to learn better, being as males tend to be more
visual learners and not necessarily via reading.
Already
the content is in place, guided by a common curriculum created by the Ministry
of Education as I'd explained in my blog article entitled
“Ministry
of Education Select Content for Jamaican TIS Project - How Tablets will Empower
Interactive Learning and make Students Aim High”.
All
that's now needed is the DMS (Device Management System) and CMS (Content
Management System) as explained in my blog article
entitled “Ministry
of Science and Technology signs four Contractors in March 2014 to procure Tablets
- Test Pilot Project in September 2014 means Teachers can monetize e-books”.
With
content covered, the infrastructure is now needed to support Tablets being able
to access the Internet and being made secure. So how is that progressing?
DMS and CMS for TIS Project
– If the CAP for Wi-Fi Internet Fits for Education
So
now on to the implementation of the CMS and DMS, which will be handled by the
Four Contractors as mentioned above. They'll have begun to implement some 200
CAP (Community Access Points) at several GOJ (Government of Jamaica) State
institutions such as:
1.
Church Halls
2.
Community Centers
3.
Health Centers
4.
Police Stations
5.
Post Offices
60
of these CAP have been placed at Hospitals and Health Centers, a logical move
as they tend to have preset infrastructure upon which Free Wi-Fi Internet can
be configured. This is an ongoing Project which is funded by the USF (Universal
Service Fund) that's derived from the Telecoms Tax and the Cess on
International Calling via the Telecom Providers.
Hence
this progress should make Jamaicans be less interested in bypassing our local
Telecom Providers and thus subscribing to more International Calling Plans to
make International Calls and thus support the USF as argued my blog article
entitled “LIME
and Digicel blocking all VoIP Services - How Telecom Providers can make money
from Regularizing Paid VoIP Services”.
PR
(Public Relations) Campaign to galvanize support for USF by making more
International Calls with the slogan “Don’t Bypass; Support the USF and
E-Learning II Project!” sounds good to me!
Tablet Remote Security
Protocols – Julian Robinson introduces GPS Security in Jamaica
As
for the security part of the TIS Project, State Minister Julian Robinson
pointed out that the Four (4) contractors got those Tablets on Lock Down as
explained in the article “Forget it!
Robinson warns against stealing Tablets”, published Saturday August 16,
2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.
He's
very much aware of the security risk based on his statement at the JIS Think
Tank meeting on Thursday August 14th 2014, quote: “We recognise it is a risk.
We are conscious of it, and there is a special security committee that is
anticipating and addressing these issues ... we have to try and mitigate all
the concerns as best as possible, and that is why we have placed a lot of
emphasis on the security aspect so persons know there is no value in stealing these
Tablets”.
This
security issues is the main arguement many detractors use to pummel the
Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining about the TIS Project,
comparing it to another White Elephant like the Half Way Tree Transport Center.
That and the fact that these Tablets will give students access to Pornographic
Websites and other questionable content make many parents and detractors
claiming waste thing that this is a bad idea!
Coincidentally, I'd been
interviewed on Nationwide News 90FM located at 27 Mannings Hill Road and home
of Miss Kitty, their main personality. I’d appeared on host Vernon Derby’s show
“Technology Now” TWICE, on Friday May 2nd 2014 and Friday June 11th
2014 respectively to explain how to protect children from Adult Content online.
A few months later, I then followed
up with an article based on my research material in my blog article
entitled “How
to Lock down your Child’s Tablet or smartphone and Apps to Block, Protect and
Notify you of your Child’s whereabouts Online - Defense Against the Dark Arts”.
I also did an article on what High
School Children need to do to take care of their Tablets as explained in my blog article
entitled “How
to care your Tablet from the TIS Program – Batteries are included and you’ll
need a Portable Battery Charger”.
Well,
at a cost estimated to be JA$800 million to JA$1.2 billion taken SOLELY from
the USF, it's a well needed White Elephant. Without it, Children will continue
to fail CXC and CAPE exams, as they have no reason to hope and believe that
their lives will be any better.
Tablet Remote Security
Protocols – Triple Authentication, LBS and IMEI Labeling
Thus
the LBS (Location Based Service) that's being activated on these Tablets by the
four (4) Contractors should make it quite safe for students to tote these Tablets
in their knapsacks on their way to school as explained in the article “Forget it!
Robinson warns against stealing Tablets”, published Saturday August 16,
2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.
During
a demonstration by Technical Service Manager Dean-Ray Grant GeoTech Vision
Enterprise Limited, he was able to locate the Tablet and thus theoretically
alert the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) aka the Jamaica Police. He also
rendered the Tablet unusable unless they had the Google Login and Password for
the Tablet as well as how to disable the GPS Module inside, which makes the Tablet
instantly trackable once it's booted up.
Interestingly,
during the demonstration, even after gaining that level of access using the
Google Login and password as well as the Screen Lock password, there is another
Challenge screen. That Challenge Screen is most likely for the software that's
used to secure the Tablet. Students who normally use the Tablet would have to
enter a code to access the Tablet's content located on the E-Learning Platform that
authenticates via their E-Learning Platform Server in order to begin using the Tablet.
But
as Technical Service Manager Dean-Ray Grant GeoTech Vision Enterprise Limited
demonstrated, even if the thief knows the third and final password and enters
that third and final password, he still won’t gain access.
Once
the Tablet is reported stolen and the person attempts to use the Internet, DMS Security
Software will work in the background on the Tablet and remotely connect to the
E-Learning Server. Upon authenticating the Tablet based on its IMEI
(International Mobile Equipment Identification) Number, it will block all
services on the Tablet and prevent access to the Tablet.
Best
of all, the DMS Security Software will access the GPS Service and make the Tablet
trackable by the Jamaican Police, who'll make it their priority to recover
these stolen Tablets, which are technically GOJ property. The Police will be
more than happy to do this once a Tablet is stolen.
This
as it means that they can not only locate the Tablet using an App on a Tablet
that they'll be given themselves (can you say Jamaican TIS Project Task Force?)
but it might also lead them to making arrests of the thieves.
It
may also lead them to locating the places that they carry the Tablet to be unlocked.
Not to mention even lead them to the hideout of notorious criminals in the same
way Hansel and Gretel left bread crumbs behind them to follow. Only these Bread
Crumbs are Geo-Location based and hard to cover.
Stolen TIS Project
Tablet Endgame – Reinstall the Google Android OS, GOJ can still Track you
Remember,
the Tablet is protected by DMS Security Software that's installed on the Tablet.
At any point that the Tablet is powered on, that DMS Security Software will begin
to broadcast its location. If the persons managers to breach the triple
password protection, something any child can remember and access the Internet,
the main purpose of having a Tablet anyway, the DMS Security Software block its
functions and their ability to use the Tablet and begin broadcasting the
location of the Tablet so that it can be
tracked.
The
Thief would have to scrub the Tablet i.e. reinstall the Google Android Operating
System completely in an EM (Electromagnetically) shielded environment in order
to prevent the GPS Beacon from activating and making the Tablet trackable. Even
then, its IMEI would probably make it traceable every time the thief tries to
access the Free Internet that's available at the various CAP across Jamaica,
restricting the person to using their Internet access at their home.
Even
then with the Google Android OS reinstalled, there would be no escape. Google
Android has built in functionality that enables the GOJ to track your Android
Tablet by simply using the IMEI for the Tablets purchased via the Four
Contractors.
Once
you’re written it down and you remember what that IMEI was and your child and
the child’s parent can establish ownership of the Tablet, the Jamaican TIS
Project Task Force (‘cause that what I’m calling the Police in his case!) can
go to the Android Security Website and access the Tablet remotely and disable
it from being able to receive Updates as well as being able to work properly.
If
you happen to recover the Tablet, to reactivate its access to the E-Learning
Platform you’d have to present GOJ Picture identification to the Jamaican TIS Project
Task Force and then they’ll have your assigned school, the Ministry of
Education and the Contractor to who the Tablet belongs verify the Tablet’s
ownership.
At
that point the Tablet will be reactivated and access fully restored. Something
tells me that this type of GPS Tracking might end up being used on more than
just Tablets in the TIS Project. More on this particular bit of speculation at
a later date in time!
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