We all have probably heard about Cybersecurity and how it has become one of the issues with great concern over the years. But little do we think about it being a very serious threat to the education system of a society. In the year 2020, from the months of July to August, the Microsoft Global Threat Activity Tracker have detected more than 8 million malware incidents. And do you know which industry is the most affected? It is the Educational industry that has proved to be the most affected by malware incidents as per the Microsoft Global Threat Activity Tracker.

 

With technology being skyrocketing towards development, education has also upgraded to keep up with the trend. In the recent times, we can see how there has been a rush around the globe to adopt e-learning which has also exposed the field to an increasing cyberattack. More and more cybercriminals are finding opportunities to defraud learning institutions and schools, stealing sensitive information or deploying ransomware schemes to extort money.

 

According to FBI sources, many attackers are taking the advantage of the sudden transition to online learning because of the COVID-19. Even though online learning provides many positive opportunities for learners, it also becomes an important matter to strengthen cybersecurity defences.

 

In this article, we will discuss the information needed to identify common cyber threats for those who are associated with the education industry. We will also discuss the tips and best practices to follow that will help you keep yourself and your institution safe.

Cybersecurity for Students

 

Online learning has become a common mode of education in the recent times and much malicious cyber activity has affected students in a variety of ways. According to Education Technology, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of potential attackers has increased.

 

What are the Cyber Threats for Students?

 

Before we go forward discussing on how to keep ourselves safe from Cyberattacks, we need to have a strong understanding of the threats that are faced by today’s students in their day to day life. Here are some of the attacks that you as students need to be aware of:

 

Data Theft: As per reports from CNBC, the attackers know very well that students often have a lack of proper understanding of how to take care of their financial data which they put online for the first time. Experts say that hackers can use this data for identity theft, credit fraud and many more.

 

Malware in Mobile: Researchers have found that attackers target mobile phones mostly. As students have found all the facilities on their mobile phones they have started to move from desktops to the smartphone. This is why students must be very cautious while using it.

 

Camfecting: Many students nowadays use their smartphones to do their online classes. With a webcam and camera built-in into their phones, students found it more accessible to deal with their studies. But the most important thing that students do not know is that this opens the doors to camfecting which allows hackers to remotely access and take control over the camera.

 

Malicious Social Media Messaging: Facebook and WhatsApp are two such social media messaging platforms that are prone to be attacked by cyber attackers. According to various studies, hackers took full advantage of the pandemic and post-pandemic situation and lured victims to phishing websites which may lead to misuse of personal information. According to a study on cybersecurity threats amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hackers are taking advantage of platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp with scams to lure victims to phishing websites, which can compromise personal information.

 

Social Engineering: Among the many cyber attacks social engineering scams are among the top cybersecurity threats faced by higher education students, as per research by EducationDive. These social engineering attacks rely on manipulating users into revealing confidential information.

 

Tips for Students for Cybersecurity

 

Cyber attackers nowadays are constantly discovering new ways and strategies to attack users on the digital platforms. It is extremely important to protect yourself from these serious threats. Here are five cybersecurity tips that will help you protect yourself from these cyber attacks.

 

Keep your software up to date: Always be sure that you keep your mobile phones and other devices up to date. This means that it will update all the software on your devices. Out of date software can put you at risk and become the victim of these cyber attacks.

 

Do not share personal information: Be careful about what you are sharing on social media. Sharing personal contact numbers, addresses, school addresses, email IDs etc can put you at high risk.

 

Install Virus Protection: Antivirus or virus protection protects your smartphones and laptop/desktops from malicious cyber activity. Virus protection with anti-phishing support on your device will keep you safe online. Make sure that you keep scanning your devices if any virus attacks have been made. Make sure that you check at least once a week.

 

Do not click unrecognised links: Do not click on unrecognised website links that you find popping up on your phones and computers. These ads that show up on our devices from untrusted sources can host malware that will install and risk your digital security.

 

Stay on Guard for Phishing: Always stay cautious that you do not open any kind of email attachments from untrusted sources. Surely there might be emails from friends and teachers but always keep yourself alert to use caution while opening any kind of attachments.

 

There are also necessary steps that we can take for safeguarding ourselves from Cyberattacks at home. As parents, a child's protection is above everything else.

 

Parents are children's best protection against the threats that are found online. There are ways by which you can protect your child from being the victim of cyberattacks.

 

As a parent, you are your child’s best protection against online threats like those mentioned above. Here are five steps that you can start following with your child today.

 

Maintaining online privacy protection: Make sure that you have taught your child how to password-protect their devices in their online accounts. Explain to them why creating strong passwords is important and that they should never share their passwords with anyone outside the household.

 

Identity protection and location: Always remember that you must remind your child to disable photo geotagging if they use Android and iPhone and remind them not to share any personal information online like age, address of the school, phone number or any other identifiable data.

 

Use Secure WiFi: Always ensure that your home’s wifi includes encryption and a strong password that restricts access outside your space. Share your WiFi password only with those that you know and trust.

 

Make use of parental controls: Many parents give their kids their first digital devices like Tablets and smartphones at a very young age when they do not even understand the power in their hands. So start using the built-in parental control features that will help parents monitor their children's usage as early as possible.

 

Understanding cybersecurity is a very essential part of our lives. Especially in today's world where everything is getting digitalised. Therefore we must make sure that we remain aware of the cyber threats that we might become victims of and avoid falling prey to the cyber attackers.