Digitality has radically transformed almost every facet of our life for the better, well at least in certain aspects. For us in education, our dependence on technology is growing bigger and bigger and the current pandemic has even accelerated the process.
Online, blended, and other digitally based forms of education have become. More and more of our students are flocking to the net to do those daily activities that were to the recent past the preserve of the brick-and-mortar classrooms. However, the world of digitality is also fraught with dangers and challenges which we should be aware of in order to safely navigate it.
In today’s post, I am sharing with you this handy visual I created featuring some practical Internet safety tips that you and your students can use to stay safe while browsing the web. the tips in this visual are sourced from Google Safety Center and ScamWatch.
The purpose is to help raise awareness among teachers and students about the issue of online safety and also provide teachers (and parents) with a resource they can easily use with their students in class. Feel free to shoot me an email for a PDF version of this visual (info@educatorstechnology.com). Put in the subject :Students Online Safety Tips: The Do’s and Don’ts .
1- Common scam methods
A- Phishing:
Scammers trick you to hand over personal or financial information such as bank details, passwords, etc.
B- Hacking:
Scammers try to get access to your personal or financial information by exploiting security weakness on your network, computer or network.
C- Malware
Scammers can use malware which is a program or software designed to damage your device, get access to your files, and track your digital activities.
D- Ransomware
Ransomware is a malware that blocks access to one’s device and demands payment to unblock it.
E- Data breaches
Scammers get access to your data through ‘accidental data breaches of business or government accounts’.
2- Do’s and Don’ts of Internet safety
Do’s
- Run an online search to verify the identity of the sender
- Use strong passwords and activate two-step verification whenever possible
- Double-check the URL by hovering over the link or by long-pressing the text on mobile
- Make sure the URL starts with “https.” A grey, fully locked icon will appear in Chrome browser when URLs are secure.
- Use Chrome or Google Drive to open suspicious documents and PDF attachments.
- Maintain up-to-date software on the services you use such as Chrome in order to access the latest security features and fixes.
- Be careful about what you share on social media websites
Don’ts
- Don’t click on suspicious links.
- Don’t open suspicious emails and don’t reply to them.
- Don’t use the same password for all your accounts.
- Don’t share personal or financial information on public computers or Wi-Fi hotspots.
- Don’t provide unrestricted app access to your personal data.
- Don’t leave the screen of your device unlocked. Activate automatic screen lock.
