Jim Rink, an IT professional in the UW-Wisconsin system, recently sent this out in an IT newsletter: Wisconsin nice does not apply when it comes to the cyber world! You surely do not need to respond to e-mails from unknown sources even if you do say hello to everyone you meet on the street.
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As most Tech & Learning readers know, when an email includes a gift offer or an amazing vacation invitation, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is a scam of some sort. However, it’s important to continue to remind staff, parents, and students about some basic IT security concepts, such as: Emails from “help desk” – or any other legitimate organization – will never ask for your password or personal information. Don’t share your password with others, even if that means they may not have access to your files while you are on vacation. Remind people that, if necessary, the IT department can always access files in a true emergency. The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) released some cyber security tips for teachers earlier this year. Some other good resources for IT departments putting together cyber training include Protelligent’s cyber security reminders, Global Digital Forensics’ cyber tips for summer vacation, and BITSIGHT’s 13 cyber security training tips. Cyber security training needs to be ongoing in order to be effective – and that includes for parents as well as for staff members. Training can easily be added to Back to School activities that include informing parents how to access school messaging systems, etc. How are you keeping your school communities safe online?
