Common Cyber Threats to Schools That You Need to Know
Cybersecurity has emerged as a critical issue in our time. Cybercrime has become a headache for almost every individual, institute, and school all over the world. And while school safety has always been a top priority, addressing the issues of cybercrime is still a work in progress.
And in order for teachers and other school officials to understand the need for cyber security to help diminish the causes of violence in schools, it is only valid that we first look into the cybersecurity threats that are most likely to target schools from all over the world.
Phishing
Let us start with the most common one: “phishing,” which is a technique that involves a person getting seemingly legitimate emails that ask for personal data. The emails can revolve around getting verification of personal accounts, permission to use personal passwords, details, and so on.
To avoid it, you must carefully examine the contents of the email or even get a spam filter that can recognize spam and phishing emails for you. Or if you are still suspicious, you can inform others on your network and let them handle things effectively.
Spam Injections Through Comments
An overlooked factor within a school is the use of their internet services. Nowadays, almost all schools have online blogs, official pages, and websites on various social media platforms.
It is crucial that these platforms be properly monitored and handled with care and control. Unfortunately, most of these blogs can be neglected due to weak security measures, which not only makes them look unprofessional but can also pose a threat to educational institutions. When it shows that you do not know what you are doing, it can immediately make you an easy target for hackers. Hence, a proper understanding and cautiousness are required to understand how to manage online pages through ideal and efficient means.
Furthermore, there are many professional individuals out there who can help you figure out the best means of protecting students within an educational institution. The book “Education in a Violent World: A Practical Guide to Keeping Our Kids Safe,” by internationally known safety expert Dr. Steven Webb, centers around different methods to create an immediate action plan on how parents, teachers, school administrations, school communities, and more can use a different mindset to protect kids in school. Dr. Webb is an educator, law enforcement officer and founder of Safe School Systems, LLC.
He highlights the issues of an outdated system that was used in a simpler world to keep our children safe that no longer identifies schools growing issues. Moreover, it also goes into depth, discussing the “PARA Mindset” that helps give parents and children’s caregivers the proper information and abilities to navigate the societal challenges of the 21st century.
Additionally, it highlights the different ways it can enable the children’s guardians to properly understand and identify the stress and tension that can negatively affect kids and that the best ways to counter them effectively, is to be constantly aware of the changing landscapes of social media and those who use technological means to attack our students and our schools..