Network Management

Network Security

5 Steps to Enhance School Network Security: Expert offers five tips to defend against hackers and other breaches.

• https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2016/03/5-steps-enhance-school-network-security
• Based on Matthew Frederickson’s experiences improving security at Council Rock School District, here are five best practices to consider.

Internet Safety

• Everyone is responsible for what they put out on the internet.

• Its recommended that people keep their privacy settings on to protect their identity.

• Surf the web safely and professionally. Do not post things on the internet that you would not want potential employers to see.

• Be careful what you download so your identity is not stolen or you do not get a virus on your computer.

• Do not use untrusted websites to either find out information or purchase something. That way your credit card and bank information is safe.

Privacy

• Users must be aware that school administrators have the rights to access all files on any machine they administer to students or staff. In certain cases, some files might have to get deleted to fix problems. Before files get deleted the user will get notified of what is going to occur.

• Network access can be revoked if multiple policies are violated. Restoration of one's access can be restored at the discretion of the school.
• Students have the right to privacy of their academic and personal files stored on school computers because of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

• The school is not liable for any files that have been lost because of student error or mistake.

Confidentiality

• The user will not share any confidential information on any social media site about the school itself or in any way that could endanger themselves or classmates.

• No photos or videos will be taken in a class or lecture of other students or teachers without permission.

• Information will only be accessed to enrich one’s education instead of looking for information that could potentially hurt others.

• No user will access someone else's personal information through their credentials for any reason.

• Neither one's username or password should be shared with anyone. Nor should one share another person's credentials with the public.

• Whenever one is leaving a computer they will remember to log off to protect one’s personal information and files.

• If any devices become lost or stolen, it should be reported right away.

• Confidential information should never be sent via email in case it happened to fall into the wrong hands.

Copyright

• All users must comply with all laws both federal and state that correspond with copyrighted material.

• Plagiarism, copyright issues, privacy violations will not be tolerated.

• No copyright material may be left on a personal or school computer unless they have rights to the files.

• No copies of copyrighted material may be distributed to others without permission.

• Unless given permission to use someone else's documents as their own, that is seen as plagiarism.
• "Fair Use Laws" cover and provide protection for some uses of copyrighted material, but anything substantive should always seek the approval of the original author or owners of the copyright.

Online Behavior

• Avoid negative comments or content online.

• Turn the negative comments into something positive.

• Remove hurtful or disrespectful content that was posted online.

• Never release someone’s personal information online.

• Be an active participant to business/personal sites that can promote a positive image.

• State a claim to your online presence first before someone else takes it.

• Treat others how you want to be treated.

• Administrators should not abuse their power to access information of their students or staff.

• All users on the network should respect everyone’s privacy. Do not use someone else’s device without their permission.

Social Media

• Social media sites and apps (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) often constitute a large amount of traffic on networks
• Users should not access their own personal information on public devices
• Users should make sure that when they are finished using a piece of technology that they completely log out of all websites and services that they were signed in with
• Most users assume that simply shutting off the piece of technology is the same as logging them out, This is not true
• Many modern computers and internet browsers utilize a system called "cookies" which are small pieces of data that websites and computers store in order to make it faster and easier for users to access data.
• "Cookies" settings can be found under the "network settings" on most computers or "settings" on most browsers.
• Disabling cookies ensure that data accessed and information entered by users is not kept accessible for other users on the same device.
• Many major networks keep extensive databases of all keystrokes and commands carried out by every computer on the given network. This databases can be accessed at any point and can be used to find passwords, personal information, and all other information transmitted through the computer.
• The safest and most secure policy for both users and network technicians is for no personal social media to be accessed at any point on the network.
• Sites can be blocked and maintained by network administrators.