In today’s increasingly digital learning environment, keeping ākonga more secure online is just as important as keeping an eye on them during a school trip. But when it comes to the school network, terms like internet security and Wi-Fi security are often mixed up – even though they cover different things.
Understanding the difference between internet security and Wi-Fi security, and knowing who looks after what, is the first step toward building a confident, more secure digital learning space. Let’s break it down, so you know exactly what’s covered and how we can support you.
Internet security vs. Wi-Fi security: what’s the difference?
To understand how to keep your school network secure, it’s helpful to look at what internet security and Wi-Fi security each covers. Simply put, internet security is about managing what users can access online and stopping harmful content or cyber threats from reaching your school systems, while Wi-Fi security is about making sure only the right people can connect to your school’s wireless network.
Internet security overview
Internet security protects your school users online, from safeguarding sensitive data to shielding devices, users and systems from cyber threats like external hackers, phishing and scams. N4L provides fully funded internet and actively manages the connection, but keeping your school more secure online is a shared responsibility between N4L and your school.
Your school’s focus on internet security
Here is what your school’s IT team and leadership can do to minimise the risks in this area:
- Manage your Internet Safety & Security Services settings: check you’ve got all of our recommended settings in place, and let us know if you’d like to block any additional websites, apps or categories.
- Vulnerability management: ensure you have processes in place to react to notifications from N4L around vulnerabilities so your internet-exposed services can be updated and kept as secure as possible. This is one of the critical cybersecurity controls identified by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and CERT NZ.
- Monitor browsing activity: using reporting tools and alerts in MyN4L, you’ll have more visibility and more control, showing what’s happening on your network and allowing you to make changes in a few clicks.
N4L’s focus on internet security
Here’s what N4L do to strengthen your school’s defence:
- Safety & Security Services: to provide protection for ākonga while learning online, we recommend all schools and kura use N4L’s Internet Safety & Security Services. These are made up of five components: Firewall, Web Filtering, DDoS Protection, DNS Threat Protection and SafeSearch. We also monitor these services to maintain a baseline level of protection. If something on your network changes and raises a red flag, we’ll let you know; and we’re always here to help you respond.
- Protection from malicious emails: this helps prevent you from falling victim to scams designed to steal personal information. If you haven’t yet, sign up for Email Protection to shield your school from phishing attacks, plus you can track blocked emails via the MyN4L self-service platform.
- Respond to online incidents: if we believe your school has been impacted by things such as suspected malware, we’ll let you know. Together with your IT provider and other stakeholders, such as your cyber insurance provider, we can investigate and remediate the incident.
- Work with government agencies: we’ve partnered and integrated with the NCSC’s Malware Free Networks® (MFN) Service and Phishing Disruption Service™ (PDS). This strengthens our cybersecurity protection and brings together expert threat intelligence from government agencies to deliver safer, smarter digital services to schools and kura nationwide.
Wi-Fi security overview
Wi-Fi security focuses on protecting your school’s wireless network, ensuring that only the right people can connect to it and it’s managed together by us and your IT support person or IT provider.
Wi-Fi security – your school’s focus
Your school plays an important part in keeping the internal Wi-Fi network secure and running smoothly. Here’s how you can stay on top of things, in terms of Wi-Fi security:
- Manage user access: regularly review and manage user access for different groups.
- Allow only authorised devices: make sure only authorised devices are connecting to your school’s Wi-Fi and manage any end-of-life devices.
- Support safe BYOD use: have clear policies for student devices and make sure they meet your school’s minimum security standards before they connect to the network.
- Monitor IoT devices: IoT (Internet of Things) devices like smart lights or school bells connect to the internet to work smarter, but they can also introduce cybersecurity risks. Make sure they’re secure, regularly updated and on a separate network to ākonga. Learn more about how to stay safer when using IoT here.
Wi-Fi security – N4L’s focus
We’re here to help your school strengthen Wi-Fi security and stay protected every step of the way. Here’s how we support you:
- User and device authentication: with our Secure Access service, you can manage individual users and trusted devices so that only the right people and the right devices are connected to your network.
- Network segmentation: using Secure Access, you can easily group users (like students, staff and guests) and set clear limits on who can access what, keeping things organised and more secure. Refer to the Ministry of Education’s tips on applying the right levels of access.
- Encryption: as part of the Te Mana Tūhono programme’s Equipment Replacement phase, we provide WPA2 encryption to scramble data sent over your school’s Wi-Fi, which helps keep sensitive information safer from prying eyes.
- Ongoing advice and alerts: our security team provides schools and kura with expert advice, regular security updates and advisories – check them anytime on our Alerts webpage. Want a peek behind the scenes? Have a look at our Inside Cybersecurity Services: a day with our Security Analysts blog to meet members of our Cybersecurity team working hard to help protect your school.
Together, we create a more secure space online
We know that keeping ākonga more secure online can feel like a big task, but you’re not in it alone. At N4L, we’re dedicated to making sure schools have the tools, support and confidence to navigate the digital world securely. When it comes to online security, we all have a role to play – here’s a useful guide on who to contact when. Please also check out our blog for other things you can do to improve your cybersecurity posture, including tips around multi-factor authentication, software updates, and using unique, strong passwords.
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