In the day to day life of a teacher or principal, there’s a lot going on (all. the. time.) – and it’s only getting busier!
If you’re not a technical person when it comes to IT, then cybersecurity becomes another daunting thing to consider on an already packed plate. And implementing better network security to help protect your kaiako and ākonga can be an ongoing challenge. We get it. And we want to help.
Schools and kura are increasingly becoming targets of cyber attackers – they hold confidential and financial information on behalf of kaiako and ākonga, such as identity details, which can be attractive to the cyber attackers. If your school doesn’t have up-to-date IT systems and policies then you could be considered a relatively easy target.
There are some simple things you can do to help secure your Wi-Fi network and by doing so, you’re reducing the risk of your school or kura being impacted by a security incident.
Let’s go through some tips to help improve the security of your school’s Wi-Fi network:
- Recommending kaiako and ākonga set up multi-factor authentication (also known as MFA, two-factor authentication or 2FA) to access online accounts can provide an extra security measure. You’ve likely been offered this form of protection on many websites and apps, such as banks and email providers, so you may already be familiar with it. MFA requires a second layer of verification beyond your password when logging in – for example, this could be a text or email with a verification code that you need to enter as part of the process. The Ministry of Education has info for Google and Microsoft users and CERT NZ provides general info that could also be helpful.
Tip: having robust policies in place can help set a security standard for schools as user responsibility is integral to good digital citizenship. Both the Ministry of Education and Netsafe have resources in this area which can be a great starting point.
- Updating software regularly. This is a super easy one that’s really important – keeping on top of operating system and app updates ensures you have the most recent security measures in place from the company or developer.
Tip: look into getting a Mobile Device Management system which can help automate software updates and take the pressure of your IT team.
- Keeping phishing scams front of mind when scrolling through your inbox and reading your emails is a good behaviour to adopt. A lot of scams attempt to impersonate a legitimate company but if you look closely, there’s probably something that’s not quite right… the branding or spelling mistakes are a giveaway, as are grammatical errors or weird punctuation. Before you click on a link or an attachment, it’s worth hovering over it to check that the URL is the web address you’re expecting – and if in doubt, don’t click! Also think twice before entering any personal information or payment details.
Tip: N4L’s free Email Protection offers an extra level of email security and added peace of mind, which will complement your school’s existing Microsoft or Google email service. It’s fully funded by the Ministry of Education for eligible schools and we’ll support you through the remote set up, working directly with you or your IT provider.
- Having long and strong passwords, or passphrases, also help protect your online accounts. We all know the basics of never using the same password twice (or for multiple accounts) and never including personal information (such as your birthday)… but in reality, when you’re juggling multiple logins, it’s just easier to use variations of the same password – we’ve all been there! This is where password managers come in – they offer an easy way of storing all your logins and passwords securely without having to remember every password. Using one reduces the risk of reusing weak passwords and increases security by having a unique password for each account – which is the most important tip! Apple’s iCloud Keychain or Google’s Password Manager are a great place to start. The Ministry of Education also has info on creating strong passwords.
Tip: educating staff and students regularly on what they can do to help support a more secure network environment is a great place to start. You could choose to focus on a particular area of security each month for example – MFA could be one month and security updates or strong passwords could be the next.
How N4L can help
At N4L we help provide a more secure online learning environment, but it’s a team effort to ensure your network is secure. We offer additional options that can help strengthen your school’s defence against online threats:
- We make it simple to have a baseline level of protection against online threats and inappropriate content. We do this through our Internet Safety & Security Services, which comes with Web Filtering, Firewall, DNS Threat Protection and DDoS Protection – and a number of recommended settings – to help keep your ākonga safe and your network secure.
- Secure Access provides network segmentation and identity-based authorisation, meaning your school is less vulnerable to security breaches and online threats. It helps protect your school’s student data and gives you greater control over what happens on the network.
What do I do if our school has a security incident?
In the event of a security incident at your school, please call your IT provider (if you have one) and report the case to N4L as soon as possible. Our specialised cybersecurity team will be able to talk you through the next steps depending on what type of incident has happened and the level of risk.
We’re only a call (or email) away…
Please remember we’re here to help! If you have questions on any of the above, our Customer Support team is more than happy to assist – or point you in the right direction. Give them a call on 0800 532 764 or flick an email to [email protected]. And if your school has an IT provider, they can also work through the above steps with you.
It’s important to remember that there’s no way to guarantee 100% protection from online threats. But by following the tips above, you’re doing the best you can to help keep your school’s Wi-Fi secure.
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