Since our class discussion this week (about phishing) did not focus on the school environment, I wanted to make a blog post on the topic of cybersecurity in schools. This article is about a high school district which serves 8,000 people (that's as big as my town!) and has 2500 computers.
One reason I liked this article is that rather than saying that the first line of defense is anti-virus software, they say that it is responsible users. This fits in well with my own thoughts on the topic. By educating the students (and faculty), they will be more responsible and have more ownership. Because the students feel a sense of ownership, rather than having "fun" hacking into the system, the students serve as a proactive first line of defense.
Another smart realization this school district has had is the influence of teachers on students' behavior. If the students know the teachers are not respecting the rules (for instance, if teachers disrespect copyright), the students are much more likely to pick and choose which rules they will follow too. In this district they attempt to solve this problem by having workshops for the teachers about ethics and safety.
One more thing I liked that this school is doing is that they are trying to give extra support to teachers with technology use. They realize that teachers are really too busy to be on top of the technology curve, so they are taking the time to educate the teachers (rather than expect them to pick up things themselves).
I think the most important ingredients for cybersecurity in a school setting are education and empowerment. What do you think?
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3 comments:
I agree with your stand on cyber security in schools. Of course we will always need firewalls and spam protection and safeguards against hackers, but the key to cyber security education is teaching students how to behave in a Web 2.0 world. Students should have an appreciation for the consequences of their actions online. They should understand why we have copyright laws and what they mean. They should understand that manners, respect, and right-from-wrong don’t end when they log into a computer. You also make a good point about how the high school discussed in the article is training teachers in the use of technology. We forget that just because kids today are growing up surrounded by all of this technology doesn’t mean that their teachers had the same experience. Teachers, just as much or more than their students, need technological training in order to be effective standard-bearers for cyber security in schools.
I completely agree with both of you. Education and empowerment are the strongest tools in the box and if we want to raise kids to become socially responsible individuals in person, and online, we need to address this issue wholeheartedly. If done well, education will go farther than any other approach we take.
What a refreshing final quote from Network Specialist Clint Walker, "When they see me working on stuff they come up and ask questions. I try to encourage them in a safe and positive way. I consider myself a lucky person to do what I do for a living. It's so much more fun than what most people do."
I totally agree with you all that good training for staff and students and setting clear expectations are the things that will make the most difference for any school.
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