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originating from a third-party source. For example, this could allow students to access media content but without being able to read or make comments, where the content is not controlled or moderated by the publisher. Effective web security can also be integrated with the Counter
Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) (Prevent) and Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) illegal sexual content lists, leveraging their essential work. Solutions are also needed to work in real time, to monitor access to content that might involve discrimination, bullying, self-harm, violence, grooming, radicalisation and extremism. Finally, once online, having restrictions around data sharing helps ensure that PII (Personal Identifiable Information) is shared incorrectly outside the school, but also that students don’t inadvertently share content that they shouldn’t. Schools are also typical of the wider business community, in
embracing a wide range of third-party apps as well as the high use of Microsoſt 365 – meaning security for cloud applications is essential. One customer of our partner Censornet, the Royal Russell School, highlighted that as well stopping the chance of a malware attack through a compromised website (especially via adverts, which could look attractive to students), there’s also a strong duty of care to the students that’s more than just protecting the organisation, it’s about keeping children safe. Finally, reporting is important too, for use in multiple instances.
For the staff and any partners, insights into activity can help guide policy, and highlight potential trends or challenges. More intelligence can help feed back into the approach at the school on how they support the students, and can also be shared – many schools are now part of trusts that bring together multiple schools. Sharing intelligence and data can potentially help identify problems or threats before they spread, or leverage collective experience to address things quickly. Memes or phrases that are inappropriate can be quickly spotted as being used or searched for, and so addressed quickly, and other partner schools notified. Schools also have boards of governors, who won’t be involved in day-to-day activity but may appreciate high level reporting and visibility of the actions the school leadership is taking around cybersecurity.
Create a security culture Security might be based on technology, but having the right culture within a school is essential – and it involves both staff and students. Tis should include both training and educational sessions on best practice and the technical side of cybersecurity that’s relevant to the audience. Many children will arrive at school with existing digital experience, most oſten having used a tablet for games or watching TV, and will start using smart whiteboards and laptops for classwork. Introducing them to a basic understanding on how the online world works, and slowly introducing advice on potential dangers as well as learning about social media, apps and websites, ensures that safety is in-built as part of the conversation – rather than just added on as an aſterthought. For staff, continual education and training helps ensure all teaching and support staff understand the risks and dangers and can answer questions from students, without needing technical knowledge. Awareness Training from organisations like Censornet have built in simulations that aren’t just focused on phishing links, but broader examples like online shopping and social
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media – providing real value and benefit to them in their personal lives, as well as their working behaviour. Tat ensures the knowledge is retained and regularly used, rather than a test that’s viewed as being a burden from the IT team that must be passed each time. Tere are other parts of a cybersecurity strategy that can help
secure the online experience. Solutions such as authentication doesn’t just help remove or remediate the difficulties around password use and management, but also reduce the friction of logging in to multiple applications, and reduce the time spent on accessing resources and instead allowing more classroom time to spent productively.
Cybersecurity includes families too Another key part of keeping children safe online is around their personal digital lives – and those of their parents and families. It’s easy to forget that while the kids at primary and secondary schools are digital natives who grew up with phones, tablets and laptops within easy reach and part of their everyday lives, many of their parents may not be some embedded in online culture. Even though they are now used to using the internet as part of their working and personal lives, they won’t be so engaged or active in social media, and especially the culture, memes, terminology and behaviour that influence and control how young people interact online. Terefore, while it’s important to provide the necessary training
and education to our kids, we can’t miss out the parents! One initiative that has been hugely successful globally has been the Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids and Families (ISFK) that since its foundation 15 years ago has helped reach over 2.8 million children, parents and families across 37,000 schools and communities. It’s provided great support for kids as they learn how to navigate the complexities of modern social media, apps and internet use, but also provided essential insights for their parents – from what exactly Snapchat is, to setting controls on who can see your photos on Facebook, to how to have the difficult conversations with your children as they start their digital journey.
The importance of trusted partners Te role of the channel, whether it’s a reseller or MSP, is never more important than in education. With limited skills and expertise, schools rely heavily on the guidance from their IT provider to implement many of the initiatives and solutions mentioned above, but most importantly to ensure they are used effectively. Web security won’t be effective in default mode – applying quotas and scheduled time, working on what apps and websites should be blocked or allowed, to ensure the meet security requirements while also allowing students the freedom to learn and explore. Providing guidance on the threat landscape is also essential, to help the school understand the challenges ahead, is also invaluable. Finally, being able to support schools on a cost-effective approach also provides invaluable help, with solutions that are simpler to deploy and manage, and incorporate multiple features, so taking a burden off of the staff who may lack the technical knowledge. With such limited resources and expertise, the importance of a
trusted cybersecurity partner for schools as never been greater – and it’s an opportunity for us all to give back to our community, through the expertise and knowledge we use every day.
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