Prepare for your first Cloud Scan results

Your Cloud Scan integration (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) is incomplete until you’ve scanned your cloud storage for the first time. This article recommends a few steps for preparing for your first cloud scan and what to expect once it starts.

Preparing for your first scan

Cloud Scan inspects your organisation's cloud storage for unsafe images. We recommend ensuring your organisation provides adequate information and education on relevant policies, procedures and local laws.

• Inform users about cloud storage scanning. Let users know you’re scanning the organisation’s cloud storage and explain why. Tell them you’re taking steps to protect their privacy and personal data, like adhering to policies and procedures on protecting users’ personal information and acceptable use of technology.
• Inform users and staff on relevant IT policies. Ensure all users and staff know your organisation’s policies and procedures on acceptable use of technology, information security, and privacy. Update these policies where needed.
• Train users and staff on Safeguarding policies and procedures. Ensure your organisation’s Safeguarding policies and procedures are up to date. Upskill the staff and Safeguarding Leads on these policies and procedures so they can act accordingly when reviewing Cloud Scan results.
• Get advice from your leaders. Seek advice from your supervisors or leadership team if you need to refer users for uploading images that breach code of conduct, internal policies, or local laws.
• Adhere to local laws and regulations on privacy and data protection. Scan results let you view concerning images saved in cloud storage. Be mindful of local laws protecting users’ privacy and personal data and those of the subjects or persons that may appear on these images.
• Prepare reviewers and Safeguarding Leads for confronting images. Scan results may include sensitive or disturbing images that could trigger discomfort and anxiety. Therefore, it’s important to ensure Safeguarding Leads are ready and adequately trained to handle such content.

We’ve prepared a checklist to help you get on top of your Cloud Scan preparation.

What to expect from your initial scan

• The first scan may take up to a few hours. Scanning duration may vary according to the number of files saved in the cloud storage. Since you’re scanning cloud storage for the first time, Cloud Scan will inspect all images in the cloud storage and this can take a while. Subsequent scans will exclude the images that Safeguarding Leads marked as safe.
• Expect a large volume of flagged content. This is especially true if your organisation has used cloud storage for a few years. With potentially large volumes of flagged content, consider allocating resources to review flagged images and evaluate which categories or users have triggered these flags.
  
  

  Tip

  Consider scanning smaller groups of users to make scanning quicker. If you’re a small team responsible for multiple sites or schools, scan one site or school at a time to generate results faster.

• Some users may be responsible for the most flagged content. The school may want to focus on these users for intervention. For example, you can add a safeguarding record or a referral to another agency, depending on the content found or if the user has violated policies, procedures and local laws.
• Flagged images may cause discomfort or anxiety. Scan results may include images depicting hate, gore, violence, and adult themes. A very small percentage of images may also be assigned to unexpected categories. For example, an image that is categorised under “Violence” may actually show victims of violence. Preview files at your discretion and take time off from reviewing results if needed.