The digital world is already part of almost everyone's reality. In schools, computer science was considered a subject to be learned during the primary school years, but this reality has changed with the advancement of technology, making online security an issue that requires urgent debate.
Today, children are so immersed in the digital world that it's no longer necessary to teach them what the internet is and how to use it. The vast majority of children aged 3 to 17 (99%, according to the report) are already regular users of the internet and all the facilities and resources it offers.
However, even though this integration and basic knowledge of the digital world already exist, it's crucial to establish a guidance protocol to explain and ensure online safety. This is because, although it's a tool that offers valuable resources for teaching and developing young people, the internet also has its dark side.
It is common to find young users who are experiencing difficulties in carrying out their tasks, aggressive behavior and a lack of interest in the school environment and the content presented due to excessive and indiscriminate use of the internet.
Digital security is a very important issue that should be discussed both in the family and school environment..
What is the role of the school?
It's crucial that schools are prepared to address student concerns and understand how to address any online safety issues that may arise. To help professionals in this field, we've prepared a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know to ensure smarter, more focused use of this crucial tool.
The importance of online safety in the school environment
Although school administrators are extremely concerned about the physical safety of the children in their care, it is also crucial that online safety be a key aspect of the school's strategy.
Considering these factors, there are many aspects that must be considered, for example:
The school is responsible for storing a vast database of information related to its students, which must be protected at all costs to ensure greater security and confidentiality. The loss of this type of information can not only pose financial and legal risks to the institution, but also a significant risk to its owners .
Furthermore, the internet is full of content that can be dangerous for children and adolescents, so effective control can be a valuable strategy for increasing online safety.
Since the early days of the internet, when it wasn't yet so popular, we've been warned about the need to protect our personal data and stored information. And this warning hasn't fallen into disuse; on the contrary: today, it's even more important to adopt safer behavior in the digital environment.
Every day, cybercriminals find more efficient ways to steal data and personal information, making it necessary to find equally advanced resources to provide more protection for this type of sensitive content .
These criminals also plant harmful and dangerous content that can harm children's development, such as violent or pornographic content or attempted scams.
We often hear news about so-called Trends, which can cause children to commit dangerous acts , putting the safety of their peers and family, and their own, at risk.
What should be done to increase internet security within the school environment?
There are several resources and strategies that can be applied to increase online safety in schools. Here are some essential tips we've put together for you:
Training of educators
It's crucial that teachers are prepared to address online security issues transparently . This new generation of individuals has grown up exposed to a vast amount of information and resources, so it's crucial that administrators and teachers know how to answer questions and guide them on the correct and safe use of the internet.
This tool, while risky, is not an enemy, but rather a potential ally in delivering increasingly better results . Therefore, it is essential that teachers be prepared to understand the challenges students may face, clarify their doubts, and smarter and safer internet use
School professionals need to be trained to understand these issues and align with new technologies on the market.
Data exposure should be discussed
Social media is used extensively, and for this reason, it is important that not only students but also professionals understand the risks that these platforms and tools can present.
Thousands of cybercriminals and malicious individuals prey on children and young people to gather confidential information and commit scams. It's important for everyone to understand that not everything that seems interesting can actually be shared online.
Some criminals use social engineering to lure children onto gaming platforms by offering schemes and strategies to secure benefits in the most popular games. In reality, this type of content is intended to collect confidential data and commit various scams.
In the period from August 10th to 14th of last year alone, Mantis (ISH Tech's national Digital Risk Protection platform) managed to identify 645 videos on the YouTube platform with tutorials and explanations about games that offer these advantages to children , demonstrating the size of the risk that this strategy offers to users.
Personal information, data about family, assets, and places frequented are dangerous content that can be used fraudulently.
Cyberbullying is a reality and must be discussed
The new generation has grown up surrounded by technology, meaning their communication largely takes place online. While this facilitated exchange of information is positive, this digital communication can also be a risk and a weapon when used inappropriately, fostering cyberbullying .
The internet is not a lawless land and must be used according to rules of good coexistence and based on appropriate behavior.
Use a secure search method
As we've seen before, the internet is full of traps that can be planted in the most unexpected places. Therefore, it's crucial that students and professionals understand the importance of using safe and reliable research methods.
There are numerous fake websites or websites that offer unreliable information, making it essential to find safe tools that help you avoid these types of threats. Both professionals and students should have the right tools to help them avoid falling into scams and traps.
What are the main digital traps that can appear in the school environment?
We know the internet brings many benefits to our daily lives, but it can also be extremely dangerous. In the school environment, there are some scams and traps that deserve attention and should be avoided to keep everyone safe.
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are one of the oldest online scams and have been around for many years. Using channels like email, cybercriminals can trick users into providing sensitive information or installing malicious files on their devices.
Ransomware
This type of cyberattack aims to inflict a substantial financial blow on its victims. This is accomplished by hijacking information: the cybercriminal, through vulnerabilities found in the system or even through phishing scams, manages to fraudulently collect data.
From there, it demands a ransom payment to return access to this improperly collected data, making ransomware a major threat.
Pornography and violent content
Contrary to popular belief, this type of content isn't found exclusively on specific websites, and it doesn't require extensive research. Many malicious users hide violent and pornographic content on common websites , resulting in children accessing this type of media, even when oversight is exercised by educational professionals and family members.
A safe internet usage policy is essential
Although young people and children understand how technology works, they often have little guidance on how to use it more intelligently and safely . To help them through this process, schools can implement a safe use policy that guides them and helps them understand the importance of safe online behavior. Here are some tips:
- Share content with caution: everything shared should be carefully considered and evaluated. It's important to consider who this information will be shared with and its nature. Data such as home addresses, information about other people, or location should be kept confidential.
- Beware of traps: Various scams can be perpetrated online, so it's important to remain alert to potential scam attempts, such as phishing. Any suspicious activity should be reported.
- Protect your confidential and secret data: To ensure this information is stored securely, criminals can't easily guess
- Prioritize kindness: Cyberbullying is a reality and can often be committed accidentally, through inappropriate jokes and behavior. Therefore, always use positive messages and avoid harmful or aggressive behavior toward your peers.
- You are not alone: whenever you have any concerns about inappropriate or dangerous behavior online, seek help from someone you trust to report this type of activity.
Count on all the help you can get!
To ensure these rules are followed and understood by students, schools can implement engaging activities that help students understand their importance. We've put together some must-have tools and materials for you:
Be Amazing on the Internet Program
Google has a program called Be Internet Awesome, which aims to teach children the most important skills for safe and smart online behavior.
This program is based on 5 basic principles:
- Smart
- Attentive
- Strong
- Kind
- Brave
Through these principles, the program helps managers and education professionals establish fun and efficient activities to understand their role in a safer internet .
It provides teachers and educators with important tips and tools for teaching these concepts , facilitating the learning and understanding process for children and adolescents. Here are some useful tools for educators and parents:
Interland Game
Through this gamified platform , students will have more practical contact with the concepts of the topic, learning in a simplified way how the basic principles of online security work.
The game helps students become confident and confident explorers of the online world. In game form, teaching becomes more relaxed and facilitates learning, as it's a relaxed way to learn.
Be Internet Awesome Resume
Aimed at parents and educators, this is a training manual to help children and adolescents understand the basics of online safety. With tools and methods—free of charge, of course—adults can acquire the necessary knowledge on the topic, further strengthening the purpose of the "Be Awesome Online" program.
The training is free and divided into stages, with an overview of the lesson, activities, topics, and goals for students, see:
- Educator's Guide
- Lesson 1: Share with Care
- Lesson 2: Don't fall into traps
- Lesson 3: Protect Your Secrets
- Lesson 4: It's cool to be kind
- Lesson 5: When in doubt, talk to someone
In a didactic way, it becomes much easier to understand how to protect yourself on the internet.
Be Internet Awesome Pledge
With the program's basic principles and key teachings summarized and listed in writing, the Be Internet Awesome Pledge demonstrates to students and educators the importance and seriousness of protecting data and information that travels online.
This PDF document can be used in all school environments and can serve as a kind of “closure” of the teaching and learning cycle of the Be Awesome on the Internet program.
It should be used without contraindications by educators and parents seeking to protect students and children from online dangers.
Classroom activities
Distributed by topics, with personalized presentations and documents, this is another tool to become truly amazing on the internet.
Based on the basic concepts of the program, it suggests interesting activities, check them out:
- Be smart online, share carefully
- Lesson [in presentation form]
- Instructor's Guide [in document form]
- Clippings [in document form]
- Table [in document form]
- Be careful on the internet, don't fall into traps
- Lesson [in presentation form]
- Instructor's Guide [in document form]
- Real vs. fake signals [in document form]
- Be strong on the internet, protect your secrets
- Lesson [in presentation form]
- Instructor's Guide [in document form]
- Clippings [in document form]
- Be kind on the internet, it's cool
- Lesson [in presentation form]
- Instructor's Guide [in document form]
- Clippings [in document form]
- Table [in document form]
- Be brave on the internet, when in doubt, talk to someone
- Lesson [in presentation form]
- Instructor's Guide [in document form]
- Spreadsheet [in document form]
Monica's Gang Magazine
Created by cartoonist Maurício de Souza, the characters from Turma da Mônica were included in several Special Magazines aiming to present highly important topics, such as the protection of personal data and behavior on the internet.
With teachings for students applied to different contexts, magazines can be allies of educators and parents concerned about the issue.
You can find this edition and many others on the Turma da Mônica website , available free of charge.
Lumiun can also accompany you on this journey!
With several benefits and extremely simple to install and use, Lumiun has been a strong ally for schools and educators against internet problems with students and children.
In addition to the digital scams we saw above, the diversion of attention and loss of focus on school activities mean that the internet is no longer a driver of results in some school situations.
Lumiun , in its broadest sense, offers a range of solutions focused on internet access control (site and category blocking) and internet security (firewall and VPN). In school settings, it has yielded positive results administrators (educators and principals) the power to block websites deemed harmful or outside the school's scope. But don't be alarmed; blocking can be done for specific groups and at specific times , ensuring the school's internet is productive and secure when and for whom it truly is.
With Lumiun it is possible, within the school environment:
- Block social networks, games, music and video at specific times;
- Block websites considered harmful , such as digital scams and malware ;
- pornography and violence websites ;
- Filter Google and YouTube search results
- Determine which groups of students will have access allowed or blocked ;
- View reports of the school's general internet usage;
- Block ads ;
- Manage the entire school network remotely;
- Much more.
See what Gustavo Malschitzky, director of Colégio CEAP (a Lumiun client since March 2017), has to say about one of our solutions, the Lumiun Box :
"With Lumiun Box, we can restrict internet access to unauthorized individuals, directing internet bandwidth exclusively to students, faculty, and administrative departments. But most importantly, we can prevent access to sites that are not of interest to the institution, blocking sites related to pornography, gaming, and even social media.
We noticed improvements mainly on the part of students, limiting distractions and inappropriate use of the internet, leaving them focused on school activities.
When informing the students' parents at the time of the implementation of Lumiun Box, we generally had positive responses, understanding the school's motivation to obtain better results from the students.
Finally, with the help of the Lumiun support team, implementing Lumiun Box was very simple and didn't require any technical knowledge, in addition to the clear agility in meeting our needs at every stage.”
If you are an educator, principal or school administrator looking for more protection for student access , schedule no-obligation demonstration request a quote from one of our consultants.
Until later!
