9 IT practices every school should follow
Cyber-attacks are seriously impacting an increasing number of schools. A Government study into cyber security breaches in education settings found last year that 75% of further education colleges, 58% of secondary schools and 36% of primary schools had recently suffered incidents.
From phishing attempts to steal money and passwords to ransomware attacks that encrypt files preventing access, the rise in cyber-attacks on schools makes the need for education settings to be prepared with strong IT security even more essential.
As IT security specialists, we look at the best practices every school should be following to keep their data safe.
1. Password complexity
Chose a password that is easy to remember but difficult to guess. Encryption is an excellent way of making a memorable name or word password safe. Chose a memorable word and number combination and then swap out certain characters for symbols. Just make sure the symbols do not resemble the letter or numbers they are replacing. Then rotate and regularly change your passwords so that you don’t use the same password for every platform. The harder a password is to crack, the less likely you are to get hacked.
2. Safe file storage
When it comes to file storage, having a shared network or cloud platform is always the safest option. It provides an additional backup and added security protection. Never use USB sticks or Local Disks, which can be lost or easily corrupted.
3. Don’t ignore alerts
When alerts appear on your screen, the best thing to do is screenshot the message so that you can remember it. Then send the details to your IT department. Be careful not to touch anything else and get expert advice. Your IT department will be able to determine if there is an issue and resolve it before it escalates.
4. Beware of phishing emails
Phishing emails, a fake message designed to trick people in to revealing sensitive information, are one of the most popular scams that schools come across, with over 80% of all breaches starting as a phishing email. Never open any links from an address you don’t recognise. If you are unsure if it is a genuine email, you can always look at them from address to see if that matches up. Still not sure? Don’t open attachments or links, and let your IT department know.
5. Who is looking at your screen?
Be aware of who can see your screen and keyboard. If you are working in a public area, be mindful of who is behind you, as they could be watching to gain access to your passwords or data. Lock your screen when you aren’t using the computer and set screensavers to kick in after five minutes of inactivity, so your screen isn’t visible.
6. Keep up to date
Knowledge is power. Regular training for staff and pupils on basic IT knowledge helps you to keep up to date with current threats. Knowing what to look out for means that you can be prepared to stay safe online.
7. Check your computer health
If your computer suddenly slows down or starts overheating quickly, there is a chance you could have malware slowing it down. It is often a sign that your computer is about to malfunction, speak with your IT department to get it fixed as soon as you can.
8. Never ignore error messages
Like alerts, error messages are there to flag up when something is wrong. Never just minimise them and continue using your computer. Take a screenshot of the error and talk to your IT department to see how the issue can be fixed.
9. Prevention is key
Prevention is always best. Putting in place strong IT practices and keeping staff and pupils trained in what to look out for and the dangers your school faces will help lower your risk of having IT security issues in the first place.
Want to know if there is more you could be doing?
Halchax offer a FREE Health Check Service for schools across the country. Our IT experts will come into your school and look at what you have in place currently to see how we can increase your security and make it safer for your school. We will work with you to get the best result within your school budget.
Halchax can offer advice about what you can do to keep your schools safe from cyber-attacks or incidents. We explain some of the primary cyber security risks schools face and how they could be targeted. We also offer ongoing support either online or in person in times of uncertainty.
To book your FREE School Security Health Check get in touch today: 0330 102 7464 or info@halchax.co.uk
