The use of the internet for academic purposes has recently become the standard. As schools were forced to operate under severe health regulations or with a capacity cap due to widespread epidemics, students were pushed to use online platforms instead. The internet offers a variety of opportunities and advantages for academic work. However, using and accessing the internet poses threats and possible risks to both teachers and students. It is crucial to be aware of potential cyber risks and take precautions against them whether you are a student, parent, or teacher.
This article describes several typical cyber threats, such as malware, as well as fundamental security procedures, like encryption and backup strategies.
Types of Cyber Threats
1. Phishing
Individuals who handle and use email frequently face this cyber hazard. Email attachments, messages, and emails can all be used for phishing. When you respond to or interact with these suspicious emails, third parties and outsiders may gain access to private information. The exposed data can be leaked or used against you to achieve their objectives. This threat is typical in fraudulent emails masquerading as official websites for students and professors that are related to academics.
2. Data Theft
Data theft is a result of malware successfully infiltrating your device. There are many different types of malware, including viruses, adware, and trojans. These malware are able to access private data—in this example, the data of students and teachers—and make it available to cybercriminals for theft. Both the students’ and teachers’ security and privacy are at risk because of this. Cybercriminals might also use this data for fraud and identity theft.
3. Adware
This type of malware overloads your device with obnoxious ads and pop-ups. Adware often hides itself in seemingly legitimate websites and software applications. This malicious software is primarily intended to leech user data, especially as regards preference. This data is then used by companies to target users more effectively by offering and displaying very relevant ads. If you click these ads, you will often be redirected to illegitimate and fake websites, which could easily load additional malware into your computer system without you knowing it.
Cyber Security & Data Theft Prevention
1. Backup
Make sure you have multiple backup copies of the important information relating to your academic work on your device and on the cloud. This prevents data loss and corruption. Furthermore, if you save specific files correctly and securely, you can access and retrieve them quickly. Cloud-based and local hard drive storage are the two methods you can use to effectively backup data. Hard drives use physical storage units to store data, whereas data in the cloud is on a separate, secure server that only you can access.
2. Maintain Information Privacy
Don’t share private information online, especially with people or on websites you don’t trust. Your school email, name, address, phone number, and other pertinent information should not be made public. To avoid being a victim of theft and data breaches, be informed of the common cyber risks.
3. Data Encryption
On top of backing up your data, you could also make it a lot more secure by way of data encryption. Data encryption typically involves locking your folders and files through access control security measures, like alphanumeric passwords, codes, biometric data, and more. By doing this, you make it much harder for external users to infiltrate and force access to your important files.
4. Keep Software Up To Date
Perhaps the best and simplest way to keep your system protected from outside threats is by keeping your software up to date. Even the most barebones operating systems will have some sort of data protection system to filter and block unwanted programs from running. By allowing your computer system to automatically update, you prevent the risk of software obsolescence, and you effectively make it difficult for threats to get into your system.
