School cybersecurity: What to include in protection plans

It can sometimes be difficult to know what to plan for when it comes to cybersecurity. While malware prevention should be a component of an effective strategy, there are several other areas to consider, especially within the education sector. Schools need to create a safe online environment for students and ensure that their sensitive information is protected. Educational institutions can leverage Deep Freeze as part of a multi-faceted approach to safeguarding their IT systems.

Infection protection
A main factor to consider is how the organization will deal with protecting systems and hardware from malware, botnets,and other infections. For this reason, it is essential to prevent attacks with the use of antivirus software. These programs should be installed network-wide, including on individual workstations utilized by staff and students. Additionally, it is vital that this software is kept up-to-date as an unpatched vulnerabilities can create security weaknesses that attackers may exploit.

Furthermore, educational organizations should have a plan in case they are compromised by an attack. Although no IT or business leader wants their organization to become the next data breach target, having a system already in place can save administrators considerable headaches down the road. A solution like Deep Freeze can be implemented on servers as well as devices to ensure that sensitive and important data is not lost due to an attack. Technologies can be rebooted and this information can be recovered for continued processes. Leveraging tools such as Deep Freeze along with monitoring software is one way to build an effective layered security strategy and minimize the potential risk posed by data breaches and loss.

Data access: Create a use policy
As different members of the institution will need varying levels of access to content, it is also important that administrators create a usage policy to govern data access. For example, certain educators may not require the ability to connect with all databases on the school’s system. A usage policy will let these individuals know what they have access to and what resources they are blocked from for security reasons.

Additionally, decision makers should consider the abilities of students. As many schools look to achieve compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act due to financial benefits, institutions must create a safe online environment for students. Using application whitelisting can help students access necessary content while preventing them from accessing obscene or potentially harmful websites and programs. This strategy, utilized alongside classroom monitoring software, can ensure that student users are safe online, and that technology resources are being used appropriately.