Cyber Security at school is one of the hottest training topics in the digital learning scenario. Education Technology is undisputedly here to stay. While it’s great news for teachers and students, on the flip side, the more technology is rooted in schools, the more you need to pay attention to cyber security threats.
Growing in the digital age is undoubtedly a huge advantage. Generation after generation, children are becoming increasingly tech-savvy at a very young age. But are they cyber-savvy? This question highlights the importance of keeping your guard up to reduce cyber security risks.
Cyber Threats Are Always Evolving
During the major shift to remote learning, new and improved cyber threats rose to the fore.
Cryptojacking, for example, is one of the latest incomers. It consists in hacking a system with malware to use its network resources to mine cryptocurrency.
Additionally, several schools globally have been overwhelmed by ransomware stealing students’ personal information and data until a costly ransom is paid. Furthermore, the rise of video-conferencing tools has introduced Zoombombing – unwanted internet trolls’ intrusion into video calls across all educational platforms.
These are just a few examples of the ever-evolving hacking techniques that every day may attack your school’s digital ecosystem. Therefore, practicing essential cyber security hygiene with students and their devices is vital.
Cyber Security: What Can Teachers Do?
First, schools need to ensure that every educator using education technology is trained on fundamental safety tips by their IT management and admins. That will help the teaching staff provide their students with all basic know-how.
Let’s begin with best practices, such as avoiding sharing credentials or personal information via chat on Teams while talking to peers.
For instance, don’t forget the importance of 2 Factors Authentication: an excellent tip to protect students’ accounts from hacking. Speaking of passwords, tips on setting up a strong and differentiated passwords will surely help.
Finally, make sure you educate your pupils on how to recognize phishing scams, spoofing, spam, and other common cyber threats.
Cyber Security at School for A Safer Ecosystem
Teachers and students deserve to operate in a safe and secure ecosystem in their schools. Therefore, it’s essential to install routine security patches and run updates.
Keeping firewalls and anti-virus systems up to date will defend the learning environment from cyber-attacks.
However, that is not always enough. Too often, teachers and students are equipped with outdated-school devices and software. While that technology probably still meets some of the initially chosen needs, it would surely be more challenging to update, making the school network more vulnerable. So, having an advanced security option, like Circle of Trust, would greatly benefit schools in the long run.