Cybersecurity in Education: What Teachers, Parents and Students Should Know

Why is Cybersecurity Important in Education?

The importance of cybersecurity in Educational Institutions is ever-increasing. The advancement of computer technology and the introduction of the internet has benefitted those in academic environments and other establishments.

The advent of technology has enabled educational organizations to become more effective and efficient in their procedures.

Although technology can simplify people’s lives, it can also be dangerous if not used responsibly.

The internet and computers are a huge part of our daily routine, regardless of if we are at home, school, college, or in the workplace.

It is thus very critical to protect computers from cybercriminals in order to safeguard personal info of students, teachers, and faculty members from those hoping to illicitly gain access to sensitive material about students/staff/teachers without their knowledge for malicious purposes in the future.

Security in educational establishments is of the utmost significance, seeing that information technology is playing a key part in them.

It is absolutely crucial to keep computers and the internet guarded from those who are not authorized, so that the data which is a precious resource of any academic organization is kept secured.

We mustn’t overlook the fact that IT has enabled educational organisations to become more effective and efficient with their procedures.

So it is incredibly important to guarantee cybersecurity in school systems in order for us to reap all the benefits this technology has to offer.

Types of Cybersecurity Threats in Educational Institutions

The various cyber security risks that can affect educational institutions include phishing, malicious software, ransomware, junk mail, manipulating staff and users to gain access to sensitive data, and denial of service assaults. Hackers are trying to take advantage of educational institutions financially by exploiting them electronically.

Phishing is the go-to technique used by cyber criminals to gain access to the networks of educational organizations.

Phishing is a malicious tactic in which scammers attempt to deceive users into providing sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card numbers and other private details, through fake emails or websites.

Fraudulent emails may present themselves as legitimate messages from a popular company asking its customers to revise their personal or financial info by tapping on a website link, downloading a file, or accessing an attachment that may potentially give malware to their computer.

Phishers can attempt to gain access to your system by putting malicious software on your computer. Malware is a type of computer software, or a file, that can infiltrate your device and access confidential data.

Ransomware is a particular type of malicious software that encodes the data stored on an individual’s computer and insists on remuneration to issue the key to decode those files.

Phishing emails and compromised websites are employed to spread ransomware assaults. Once it gets into your computer, ransomware will scrambles all your data and requests you to pay a certain fee in order for you to be able to access them once again.

Cybercriminals may use spam emails with malicious links or attachments to try to infiltrate your system.

Spam emails are frequently crafted to appear as if they are official communications from educational establishments or organizations which require recipients to click on a link or download a file in order to update their personal information. However, if users fall for this trick, their system will be exposed to malicious viruses and malware.

Cybercriminals employ spam emails to spread viruses and other malicious software through contaminated files that are attached to spam emails.

List of Cybersecurity Challenges in the Education Sector

Different types of cyber risks are increasing in number. Some of the cyber threats that affect the education sector include:

Wireless links without encryptions have become extremely prevalent in current times. Nevertheless, it is necessary to make sure these wireless links are secure.

If a wireless network isn’t properly secured, it can be easily infiltrated and targeted by hackers, which can result in the theft and unauthorized use of personal data.

Many educational institutions do not look after or put in any firewalls on their wireless routers, leaving them exposed to cyber attacks from external hackers or even from internal personnel assigned to manage the school’s networking systems.

This also results in the compromise of data as well as the illegal acquisition of information. Social networking has become a favorite activity for both pupils and educators.

It is essential that access to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter be regulated during work hours in order to optimize students’ academic performance and to ensure that educators are wholly devoted to instructing rather than browsing the internet or perusing Facebook updates.

What is Cyber Security Awareness For Students?

The field of cybersecurity is rapidly growing in educational circles. Due to the high number of students that access the internet every day, there is a risk of cyber criminals obtaining passwords or confidential data.

It is essential to have cybersecurity awareness training as it educates pupils on the methods they can utilize to safeguard themselves against cyber intrusions. Pupils will be educated on how to become aware of phishing attacks, malicious software, ransomware, and other dangers that are associated with computing.

It is absolutely imperative for schools to maintain the security of their students. Schools should safeguard themselves from cyber-attackers by setting up firewalls, anti-malware programs, and other protective measures.

The school must ensure that any equipment linked to their wireless network holds formidable passwords.

Instructors can offer lessons on computer safety in school or parents can discuss it in the household.

Educating students regarding cyber-protection should involve making them aware of the perils linked to employing technology. This also instructs them on how to handle technology in a safe and appropriate manner.

It is essential for youngsters to be able to navigate the world freely without worrying about being targeted on the internet, which is why KidsZone and similar schemes were implemented to assist children in avoiding cyberbullying.

Cyber Threats for Teachers

As a teacher, being up to date with the most effective methods of safeguarding and protecting yourself and your students should be the initial action taken when it comes to cyber security. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) recently released a report that identifies the top five types of cyber security issues that educators must address.

Phishing : These attacks leverage social engineering by exploiting human emotion to trick victims into giving up sensitive information such as passwords or credit card details. Over 90% of cyberattacks today start with phishing, according to CoSN.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) : These attacks occur when multiple systems flood the bandwidth or resources of the local servers. These attacks can cost victims up to $40,000 per hour , while typically only costing around $40 for cyber attackers to engineer.
Data Breach: A data breach is a security incident in which private or sensitive information (such as student data) is accessed without authorization. In fact, student and educator data breaches were one of the most common cyber incidents experienced in 2019 .
Ransomware: These threats involve hackers holding data hostage in exchange for money or other demands. According to a report from the cybersecurity firm Emisof , the potential cost of ransomware in the United States reached over $7.5 billion in 2019.
IoT Vulnerabilities: IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as laptops, smart home accessories and tablets often lack security or are not updated on a regular basis, making it vital for teachers to prioritize security when incorporating IoT devices into the classroom.

Cybersecurity Tips for Teachers

Now that you comprehend the cyber risks that educators come across in the present day, you could be questioning, what steps must I take to make sure that I, my school, and my learners are defended? Here are five steps you can follow to help prevent these attacks, provided by the Texas Computer Education Association :

Encrypt Your Data: Hackers today can obtain classroom data by intercepting it while actively in transit. By protecting your data using encryption , you can prevent cyber attackers from stealing the data that you send and receive.
Comply With Your Institution’s Cyber Protocols: It is very likely your school already has cybersecurity measures in place to protect users. It is important to follow these provisions and contact your IT or Cybersecurity department if an issue arises.
Safeguard Your Devices From Physical Attacks: Always log out of your computer when you step away. To keep passwords safe, try to avoid writing them down or entering your credentials within view of someone else.
Back Up Your Data: If your work or institution requires the storage of student data, it is important to back it up to prevent attackers from targeting this private data in Ransomware-style attacks where you may be locked out until a ransom is paid.
Practice Good Password Management: It’s easy to take shortcuts when it comes to passwords. A password management program such as LastPass can help you to maintain unique passwords for all of your accounts.

Cyber Threats for Parents and Children

A PCMag report indicates that the majority of parents (76%) are mandated by their anxieties about their kids’ security online and view online dangers their children face as major issues. If your son or daughter is devoting a larger amount of time to the internet, you may be curious as to what risks they may be facing and how you can protect them from them. We have briefed five frequent cyberattacks that target young internet users here.

Cyber Predators: These are adults who use the internet to exploit children and/or teens with the intention of inflicting harm (whether emotional, financial etc.). Cybertip, a Canadian tip line for reporting online child exploitation, reported an 81% spike in reports since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Malware: Cyber criminals today often trick victims into downloading malware that can take control of their device. Some cyber criminals can even disguise their malware as games or apps , which can be especially tempting to children.
Malicious Ads: These ads are used to spread a variety of unwanted messages or spam. Researchers at the University of Michigan and the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital recently analyzed 135 apps meant for young children and found that many were riddled with problematic advertising methods, including manipulation and shaming .
Identity Theft: Today’s cyber attackers are targeting children online to steal their identities and credit histories. In fact, a Javelin Strategy & Research Study revealed that more than one million children were victims of identity fraud in 2017 , resulting in total losses of $2.6 billion and over $540 million in out-of-pocket costs to families.
Online Gaming: According to research from the Entertainment Software Association, 70% of families have at least one child who plays video games . With this many children actively gaming, phishing scams, viruses and harassment have become commonplace in gaming communities, according to Webroot .

Cyber Threats for Students

In order to guard against an attack, having a clear awareness of the hazards that present danger to modern day students is an excellent starting point. Here are five types of attacks to be aware of:

Data Theft: According to CNBC , cyber attackers know that students often have little understanding of how to properly guard personal and financial data being input online, typically for the first time. Experts say hackers can use this data for identity theft, credit fraud and more.
Mobile Malware: Researchers at Check Point found that attacks targeting mobile devices have risen by 50% since 2018 . With more students moving from a desktop or laptop to smartphone use, it is more important than ever to take mobile security seriously.
Malicious Social Media Messaging: According to a study on cybersecurity threats amid the COVID-19 pandemic , hackers are taking advantage of platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp with scams to lure victims to phishing websites, which can compromise personal information.

Cybersecurity Tips for Students

Today’s digital criminals are always coming up with novel ways and methods of attacking unsuspecting users. Here are five cybersecurity best practices to help protect yourself from them:

Avoid Sharing Personal Information: Be mindful about the information you divulge online — such as school names, email addresses, home addresses and telephone numbers.
Invest in Virus Protection: Ensure you have antivirus protection with anti-phishing support installed on all devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, etc.). Set it to update automatically and run virus scans at least once a week.
Keep Software Up-to-Date : Be sure to keep your operating system, browser software and apps fully updated with patches. Even new machines can have out-of-date software that can put you at risk.
Be on Guard for Phishing: Do not open email attachments from untrusted sources. You may be expecting emails from group members or teachers, but use caution when opening any attachments.