When everything is going digital, keeping your data secure is of paramount concern. Your school management software contains sensitive information so one must be very careful regarding cyber attacks as the hackers can attempt to break into from any source. 

Awareness is of utmost importance. While using the school computers, it is imperative that children know the basics of online safety. Provide them with cyber security training where they are told about phishing attacks, the consequences of visiting compromised websites and clicking of malicious links, accessing unreliable websites and online games and videos. Communicate with students to know their digital habits. Explain to them about the dangers of sharing private information on public platforms. Teach them about safe navigation of the digital world. Apprise them of the importance of creating a strong password which should include elements such as symbols, numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters and the need to keep changing them regularly. 

It was observed that during the pandemic k-12 educational institutions were particularly vulnerable targets of attackers. It is essential that the school staff, teachers and students work together to create clear processes and policies to manage the classroom and online behaviour of the students and report any untoward incident immediately. 

Threats may not always be from outside. Sometimes ‘insiders’ also pose a security threat by accessing data through unauthorized networks. Intrusion detection system can be installed which will immediately detect abnormal activity. Review and reset your cybersecurity tools from time to time for better safety. An audit report can help you decide upon the right tools. Reach out to other schools and professionals to know more and implement new security measures. 

You may also need to decide how much you want to monitor online activities of students and the digital resources they are using. You must protect your school computers by updating security software regularly. Create an atmosphere where students can freely share their cyber concerns. At times it is seen that students do not report due to the fear of not being heard. 

Source: edTech Review