Challenges Posed by COVID-19 and the Security Gaps They Have Created<\/h2>\n
Physical boundaries have disappeared<\/strong>. When kids and teachers were in a single location, or limited number of locations, physical boundaries were easily defined, and defenses were straight-forward. Most districts and schools had simple and effective controls like firewalls or virtual private networks (VPNs) to protect network ingress\/egress points.<\/p>\n COVID-19 changed everything related to physical boundaries<\/a>. eLearning creates a vast number of networks. The security of every home network, the security of every device connected to every home network, and the security of every person using every device connected to every home network must be accounted for in an effecting K-12 cybersecurity strategy.<\/p>\n Cybersecurity expertise is lacking<\/strong>. If you were under the impression that K-12 technology, cybersecurity expertise were lacking before COVID-19, imagine things now. Security gaps are increasing substantially. Parents suddenly find themselves in the unfamiliar role of IT helpdesk, network administrator, and cybersecurity expert all-in-one. Unfortunately, they lack the experience and knowledge to succeed in this new role.<\/p>\n Even if parents are well-equipped, they struggle to meet the challenges of the role while at the same time trying perform at work. Most parents are happy if the technology works, let alone if it\u2019s secure. Taking extra steps for security means more demands on their time and energy, both of which are already stretched terribly thin.<\/p>\n Mental distraction creates a perfect storm<\/strong>. Finally, the psychological toll that COVID-19 is taking on students, parents, teachers and administrators cannot be ignored. Students face difficult learning challenges when they lose the face-to-face interaction they were used to. Couple this with the fact that parents are burdened under the weight of virus fears, economic instability, politics, and\/or social unrest in the world. How can they be expected to prioritize cybersecurity when their own lives and situations feel anything but secure?<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the attackers know all this too. If parents and kids are distracted, they\u2019re more likely to become prey. Attackers increase the frequency and relevancy of their attacks at the same time parents and kids are paying less attention. It\u2019s a perfect storm.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a common denominator in all three challenges: people. If people secured home networks better and shored up security gaps, physical boundaries would be less of an issue. If people had better cybersecurity skills, they\u2019d be able to secure their systems better. If people possessed good cybersecurity habits, distractions wouldn\u2019t be nearly as impactful.<\/p>\n There isn\u2019t a better way to reach people than through K-12 school districts embedded in their communities.<\/p>\n A few points we can agree on:<\/p>\n #1 \u2013 People are motivated by what they care about the most: themselves and their loved ones. We must motivate people to develop good cybersecurity habits as a life skill.<\/p>\n So, let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n Motivate<\/strong> – Find what motivates parents and students, then stay focused on it. Protecting someone else\u2019s stuff or the school district is not nearly as strong a motivator as protecting yourself and your children\u2019s safety. Life Skill<\/strong> – Drive home that cybersecurity is a life skill for everyone, it\u2019s NOT an IT skill reserved for geeks.<\/p>\n The key is finding motivators, using them consistently to form habits, and destroying misconceptions along the way.<\/p>\n Here are a few ideas to increase the community\u2019s knowledge, and ensure we\u2019re individually and collectively less vulnerable:<\/p>\n Trainings & Workshops<\/strong> – Start at the very beginning. Offer a mix of basic workshops, recorded tutorials and live informational sessions to educate students and parents about risk factors, protecting home networks, using multi-factor authentication, and security dangers in common apps (TikTok, Tellonym, SnapChat, MeetMe, etc.). Invite parents to a cybersecurity Q&A via a virtual happy hour or share a short video explaining something in an entertaining manner.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, @Athens_ISD went through a harrowing experience. Hackers targeted their servers with #ransomware<\/a>. The board voted to pay – but their IT team found an unaffected backup before the deal went through. #cybersecurity<\/a> #edtech<\/a> #education<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/HOe28UcRVy<\/a><\/p>\n — eLearningInside (@elearninginside) August 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/news.elearninginside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/feliphe-schiarolli-hes6nUC1MVc-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
Challenges Bring Information Security Opportunities<\/h2>\n
\n#2 \u2013 People are creatures of habit.
\n#3 \u2013 Cybersecurity is a life skill, a skill all people need to manage activities and challenges of everyday life.<\/p>\n
\nHabits – Habits are behaviors that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously; reducing the impact of distraction.<\/p>\nEmpower Your Remote Team (Parents)<\/h2>\n
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