Cyber safety and security in the classroom

Today’s students are more connected than ever before.

The digital age, with mobile devices, computers, apps, social media and online learning, means that today’s school children are juggling a world of opportunity and risk.

While the devices, apps and internet connectivity allow students to engage with the syllabus material and pursue their own passions and interests, they also open the door to a range of potential issues.

As artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality continue to become more popular and laptops and handheld devices become more powerful, the prevalence of technology in the classroom will likely continue to grow. The BYOD (bring your own device) movement brings its own set of opportunities and challenges.

For all the positives that come with living in the digital age, there are also less apparent risks that shouldn’t be overlooked. Keeping students, their devices and school IT infrastructure safe is an emerging issue in classrooms across the country.

Keeping students and their devices safe

According to Malwarebytes, educational institutions tend to have open networks which can leave them vulnerable to infection. With students and school administrators gathering and submitting data and information through a combination of secured and unsecured networks, schools are exposed to three main types of attacks:

• Trojan: also known as a Trojan horse, is a type of malware (malicious software that includes viruses and spyware) disguised as legitimate software that can give cybercriminals access to your devices and personal information.
• Adware: scripts hidden in online advertising so that when an advertisement is clicked, malware is downloaded to the user’s computer.
• Ransomware: malicious software that is designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

Schools that haven’t implemented programs and systems to protect their networks are particularly vulnerable to these threats.

The University of Sydney and the Australian banking sector launched a joint program in August 2018 to raise awareness and teach cybersecurity concepts and skills to high school students. The Cyber Security Challenges for High School works in conjunction with the Year 7-10 curriculum on Digital Technologies.

According to the Australian Computing Academy’s Professor James Curran, the Challenges will develop critical skills and attitudes students need to engage online safely. It also delivers Australia’s Digital Technologies curriculum and highlights the emerging professional pathways across cybersecurity.

Fostering good digital citizenship

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows that 98 per cent of 15-17 year olds spend 18 hours per week on the web. This is why it’s important for students to develop the right skills to reduce the risks of unwanted cyberattacks and learn to be mindful of how they engage with others on digital platforms.

To become good digital citizens, students learn fundamental concepts such as:

• Understanding what a digital footprint is and how to develop and protect theirs
• The use of privacy settings and how to identify higher risk websites and platforms
• How to protect their devices from cyberattacks
• Generating safe usernames and secure passwords to protect their information
• How to communicate and collaborate effectively online

The International Society for Technology in Education warns that “giving students devices without context does more harm than good”. It recommends that parents and teachers encourage discussion about appropriate behaviour on and offline. This may be achieved in many ways, including the development and delivery of a “robust digital citizenship curriculum” and ensuring students are provided with a current guide for online behaviour.