Today’s students are surrounded by technology, from their phones to their laptops. In addition to providing a valuable tool for learning and communication for kids of all ages, the internet also serves as a playground for bad behaviour – like cyberbullying, identity theft, and online predators.
The more accessible these devices are to children of all ages, the more important it is for governments, schools, educators, and parents to collaborate to promote strong internet safety. We can provide students with the knowledge they need to stay safe online and protect themselves and their data by working together.
The Importance of Internet Safety for Students
Despite the many risks associated with children of all ages using the internet, the good news is that there are several rules and regulations designed to keep students safe online, such as the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Children’s online safety is greatly enhanced by regulatory actions, but the role of parents and guardians cannot be overstated. Discuss with children what’s expected of them online, such as setting boundaries regarding how long they can spend on devices a day and which sites and apps they can use. Consider sharing a common area with computers and other devices. By doing this, guardians can easily monitor how their children spend their time online and prevent them from engaging in unsafe online behaviour. Monitoring, filtering, and restricting access to questionable content can also be beneficial with parental controls, as they provide an additional layer of protection for guardians.
Key Aspects of Keeping Students Safe Online
Educational institutions are a prime target for cybercriminals who are looking to sell sensitive and personal information on the dark web. According to recent research, 92% of cyberattacks targeting educational organizations were financially motivated.
Because school districts and students are attractive targets to threat actors, schools must prioritize several core aspects of internet safety. It is particularly important for schools to play a role in:
1. Digital content that is inappropriate or harmful should be prevented;
2. Developing smart security habits when students use email, social media, chat, messaging, forums, and other communication methods; and
3. Keeping systems safe from unauthorized access, such as hacking.
The top risks students face online
Children increasingly use internet-connected devices to communicate with friends and complete schoolwork, but they should be aware of a handful of critical risks. As parents, guardians, and educators can all help children develop their knowledge of digital safety, it is vital to communicate continually with them about internet safety. Making better decisions when engaging in online activities is possible when they understand what is (and isn’t) smart behaviour when using the internet.
Keeping an eye on their digital footprint
A student’s digital footprint can be defined as the trail they leave behind through everything they do online, whether it be visiting websites or posting content on social media. Since online activity often “lives” forever, it’s difficult to remove information from the internet at a later date. An individual may receive inappropriate or unwanted content as a result of this, leading to privacy concerns. Managing a digital footprint involves understanding and using privacy settings, keeping a list of accounts (and encouraging children to delete those they don’t use), and being conscious of what one posts.
Maintaining good password hygiene
The use of stolen credentials was involved in more than 30% of the cyberattacks on educational institutions. Passwords can be stolen and compromised through many different methods by crafty threat actors, including social engineering attacks, password spraying, and brute force attacks. Choosing unique, hard-to-guess passwords for apps and sites is imperative, as is knowing how to spot the signs of common attacker tactics like phishing.
Communicating online
The process of identifying reputable sites and apps isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds. There are plenty of tools available to cybercriminals today to craft untrustworthy-looking communications, including fake websites and emails that steal personal information and funds from users. Children should be taught how to identify potentially malicious websites and emails, as well as encouraged to talk to an adult if they have any concerns. It can be difficult to identify an online predator just as it can be difficult to recognize a fake website. Therefore, children need to be cautious about whom they interact with on digital platforms and should not share any personal details with them.
8 Internet Safety Tips for Students
All internet users need to be aware of cyber hygiene, but students are especially vulnerable to being exploited or targeted by cybercriminals.
Here are eight key internet safety tips for students of all ages:
1. Use a secure connection: Take a look at the URL bar in your favourite browser. Can you see the lock symbol on the left side of the URL? It’s good news if that’s the case since it means you’re browsing a secure site. Secure connections help protect your information from being accessed by unauthorized sources.
2. Choose strong passwords: Ensure that your passwords are easy to remember, but difficult for others to guess. Make sure your passwords don’t include any sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) such as your birthday, phone number, or address. Choose a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers that appear random. Ensure that you use a unique password for each account you own.
3. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) when possible: You can protect yourself against stolen passwords by using MFA, and it’s easy to implement. Using physical or mobile app-based tokens, MFA confirms your identity by adding a second step to the sign-on process. Despite compromised passwords, MFA guarantees that bad actors can’t access sensitive information.
4. Keep software, tools, and systems updated: Make sure your devices and applications are updated with the latest versions of software and security patches.
5. Review and understand privacy settings: The fine print may sound boring, but it’s essential for keeping your information safe online. When you review the privacy settings for the apps you use, you can better understand how the creator will use your data and what control you have over it.
6. Know how to identify suspicious links: That link to free music or free games seems strange, doesn’t it? Avoid opening it. Links that look suspicious can contain malware or other malicious content, which can be dangerous. According to the saying, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is”.
7. Be careful of what and where you post: Once information is shared online, it can often be hard to remove it, and anyone can see it. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of what and where you’re posting content. Don’t ever share your personal information, and think carefully before sharing photos, videos, and other content, knowing that it will likely “live” online forever.
8. Be cautious of who you meet and talk with online: You may think you know who you’re conversing with on the internet, but the reality is that it’s easy for others to pretend to be someone other than the person who’s actually behind the screen. Be careful about what you share with online contacts, and don’t ever agree to meet up with an online contact in person, no matter how well you think you know them. Tell a trusted adult if an online contact says or does something that makes you uncomfortable.
