As schools are further implementing the use of technology in the classroom, educators need to make sure that they’re taking the necessary precautions to keep that technology secure. Cyber threats are a real danger, and schools need to take steps to protect themselves from those cyber risks. One way to do that is by developing basic classroom technology rules.
Schools are responsible for keeping both staff and students safe from cyber attacks. In order to do that, they need to have measures in place to protect themselves from cyber threats. There has been an 18% increase in cyber attacks targeting schools since 2019. Establishing classroom technology rules will help reduce the number of successful attacks threatening schools.
In this blog, we’ll discuss some classroom technology rules that your school can implement in order to stay protected from cyber threats.
Protecting Your Classroom With Basic Cybersecurity Rules
One of the most important things schools can do to protect themselves is to be aware of the cybersecurity threats that are specifically targeting the education sector so they can be prepared. There are a few rules to follow to keep your school prepared and protected from cyber criminals:
- Install antivirus software on all devices and keep it up-to-date – Antivirus software helps protect your computer from viruses. Install antivirus software on all devices and then keep that software up-to-date. Antivirus software companies release new virus definitions regularly, and these definitions are what help the software detect and remove viruses from your computer.
- Implement a Password Policy for All Connected Devices – One of the most important classroom technology rules to follow is to keep devices password protected. If devices aren’t password protected, anyone who has access to them can view your files, install software, or change your settings. This can make your device vulnerable to cyber attacks.
- Only allow authorized personnel to install software on devices – When it comes to installing software on school devices, you should only allow authorized personnel to do so. Installing software can change the settings on a device and make it vulnerable to cyber attacks. By limiting software installation to authorized personnel, schools can help reduce the risk of cyber attacks.
- Educate staff and students about cybersecurity threats and how to protect themselves – It’s essential to educate both staff and students about the dangers of cyber attacks. Staff need to be aware of the dangers so they can protect themselves and their students. And students need to learn how to protect themselves from cyber threats.
One available resource for recognizing and preventing cyberattacks is through security awareness training with Hook Security. Phishing training that is easily digestible and informative helps students and staff learn about phishing and the importance of device and internet safety,
- Create security policies governing acceptable use of technology in the classroom – Creating policies for acceptable use of technology in the classroom protects schools and users from cyber threats. Schools can help reduce the number of successful attacks threatening their systems when policies are developed.
By having policies in place, it will be easier to enforce the rules and take action if they’re broken. If you don’t have policies in place, it’s more difficult to take action against someone who breaks the rules because there’s no clear guidance on what is and isn’t allowed.
- Implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy – With BYOD, students and staff are allowed to bring their personal devices to school and use them for educational purposes. One of the biggest risks is that personal devices are generally less secure than school-issued devices. Schools should implement a BYOD policy that outlines the expectations and rules for using personal devices on the school network.
- Regularly back up data – A simple yet crucial classroom technology rule to follow is to regularly back up your data. This helps protect you from losing your data in the event of hardware failure, natural disaster or a cyber attack. It is also a best practice to regularly test the backed up data to ensure it is usable in case you need it.
- Deploy a Zero Trust Network– Aruba Networks, for example, has built-in Zero Trust and SASE security that ensure that the same access controls applied to campus or branch networks, also extend to the home or remote worker across wired, wireless, and WAN connections.
Partner with ANC Group for Secure Classroom Technology
We understand that not all schools have the same resources available to them. However, implementing even a few of these classroom technology rules will help to better protect your school from cyber threats. ANC Group is available to protect your school using tools and techniques that are the most effective.
We’ll help you decide which network products will work best for your school, and customize options based on your specific needs. Act now and get a free technology assessment with our team of experts.
