We view DET security as a continuous battle—an arms race against increasingly sophisticated methods of cheating. To stay ahead, we enhance our security features relentlessly, to ensure they evolve as quickly as the techniques used in academic cheating.
How do we do it?
1. We take time to understand cheating trends
To keep pace with cheaters, we invest significantly in monitoring current cheating trends, organized cheating rings, and the misuse of technology for academic dishonesty. We also regularly engage in penetrating testing, paying outside security experts to break into our systems, in order to expose potential weaknesses and areas for improvement. This vigilance enables us to continuously adapt and refine our strategies.
At the same time, we’re committed to balancing fairness and security for all test takers. So, we regularly update our policies and processes that may become outdated, striving for a balance that ensures fairness to our test takers while maintaining rigorous security measures.
2. We invest in our proctors
Our proctors have varied linguistic, cultural backgrounds, and are located around the world! These diverse experts bring a wealth of perspectives that enhance the quality of our test session and identity verification reviews.
When hiring proctors, we look for people with expert attention to detail and behavioral assessment skills. Once they’re hired, they go through extensive training involving live process reviews, working 1:1 with an experienced senior proctor mentor, and receiving detailed feedback. Senior proctors are also evaluated to ensure their applied ESL expertise.
All proctors go through several weeks of training before they are able to review tests independently, and continue to receive training focused on areas needing attention as indicated by data. Our Training Team excels at breaking down complex scenarios into manageable training segments, ensuring our proctors are well-prepared for any situation. And because proctors remain anonymous to test takers throughout the review process, they are not subject to influence or bias.
How does online proctoring work? Check out this article to learn more!
3. We proactively enhance our security measures
To prevent system attacks, data breaches, and personal information compromises, we prioritize proactive strategies, like ensuring our proctors use secure browsers and devices, preventing opportunities for bribery, ensuring General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance, and instilling best practices among employees and contractors on our team.
Recognizing the strengths of both technology and human judgment, our security framework integrates advanced AI with the critical oversight of trained professionals. Our approach includes comprehensive security guides for both managers and proctors, a detailed security playbook for handling severe incidents, and a robust item bank that’s frequently updated. For each test session, items are selected in real time from our bank of tens of thousands. Because no two tests are identical, it’s impossible to get answers to the test in advance.
The development of our security features often starts as cross-functional projects involving Product and Design, Assessment Research, Operations, ML Engineers, Data Scientists, and Customer Experience teams. This collaborative approach helps prevent narrow-minded solutions, ensuring our security strategies benefit from a breadth of perspectives and expertise.
All for one and one for all!
Our commitment to robust, proactive security measures ensures that the integrity of our test is upheld, supporting fair and reliable assessment for all test takers. As we move forward, we continue to innovate and adapt, driven by a mission to provide equitable access to high-quality education assessments.