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Tag: Cyber Security

HomePosts Tagged "Cyber Security"

Cyber Security Tips for A New School Year

Seeing as nSide is all about safety, we can’t forget to talk about cyber security.

Over the last year, we have seen an increase in the number of cyber security attacks across a number of industries – and schools are not excluded.

Phishing emails, identity theft, and ransomware attacks are on the rise with schools as students, teachers, and faculty are returning for the start of a new year. While it seems unlikely, many schools have already been victims of ransomware attacks locking faculty, staff, and students out of payroll, lesson plans, and other operational software.

While most schools have plans in place for inclement weather, medical emergencies, and active shooter or lockdown situations, many lack a cyber attack response plan in the your Emergency Operations Plan in the event that they become the victims of an online attack.

Adding a cyber security attack plan to your EOP within in the nSide platform, making sure everyone understands the appropriate measures to take, and getting a situation back under control can reduce the time a school is not operational in the event of a hack.

There are also a number of prevention measures that schools can put in place to reduce the chances of an attack that can halt daily learning and operation.

Here are some ways to prevent or reduce the chances of a cyber attack:

  • Block Access to Suspicious Websites
  • Regularly Change Passwords
  • Teach Students and Teachers Email Security Basics
  • Back up all systems offline
  • Never Skip Security Updates
  • Utilize a Cyber Security Team

Another thing nSide encourages schools to consider mitigating is the potential for identity theft of students and young children. At the beginning of a new school year they are setting up new devices and creating new accounts creating a window of opportunity for theft. They are particularly vulnerable for identity theft hacks given that they typically don’t have credit history and aren’t monitoring activity of their Social Security Number.

It is important to teach children ways to protect themselves and their identity while online. A few ways parents and teachers can do that are:

  • Encourage creative answers to security questions and reduce the chances for a hacker to find the information to answer those questions. Simply put, lie when answering those questions instead of using real information and keep the answer somewhere safe that you can locate when needed.
  • Warn students of the dangers of public wifi networks and the lack of security those networks have. Any information shared over a public network is fair game to someone looking to steal data.
  • Share with students what information is appropriate and inappropriate to share in conversations online. Keeping conversations non-personal is always best.
  • Explain the dangers of online quizzes and free games on the internet and social media platforms. Most of them are deigned to harvest data and loop friends and family in to harvest their data as well. While they seem fun and lighthearted, they can have larger consequences.
  • Encourage parents to include their children’s SSN on any identity monitoring program they are using so they are notified of any suspicious activity.

In a world where we are all connected and carrying around devices that are connected, it is equally as important to encourage physical and digital safety and to have a plan in the event that the worst happens. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to nSide and we can help you get a cyber security plan into your EOP!

Sarah Ann McCain
September 3, 2021
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nSide Visits Mississippi State University to Inspire Students to Pursue Careers in Technology and Cybersecurity

nSide Visits Mississippi State University to Inspire Students to Pursue Careers in Technology and Cybersecurity

On Wednesday, July 20th CEO Dr. Steve McKinney, Data Division Manager Robert Nall, and Chief Network Engineer Justin Billingsley traveled to Mississippi State University to speak with middle and high school boys and teachers attending the GenCyber funded Bulldog Bytes Computing Camps.The GenCyber program is a partnership between the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Mississippi State has hosted GenCyber summer camps each summer since the program’s inception in 2014, and nSide team members were excited to travel south to talk with this year’s participants about the relationships between technology, safety, and network vulnerability.

The NSA and NSF partnered with schools and universities in 37 different states this summer in an effort to increase cybersecurity awareness amongst teachers and adolescents and to address anticipated shortages in the cyber workforce. For example, in 2015, 90% of members of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) surveyed agreed that there was a shortage of cybersecurity professionals. This shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals is an eminent security threat for the United States, reflected by President Obama’s February 2016 identification of cybersecurity as one of the United States’ “most important challenges.”

Dr. McKinney spent time talking with Bulldog Bytes campers and teachers about the Internet of Things, inviting listeners to contemplate where technology has been, where it is currently, and where the future will take us, emphasizing the new challenges and increased security needs as more and more people and devices connect. Robert spoke as a geographer turned techie, explaining the importance of code literacy for all kinds of jobs and his tools-based approach to programming. Justin, responsible for the security of nSide’s system, addressed system vulnerabilities and the nonstop attention needed to deter and prevent hackers. Dr. McKinney closed things off, intimating to campers that it was his experience at 12 years old in a summer computer camp that lead him down the path that currently has him positioned as CEO of a tech startup named by CIO Magazine as one of the “50 Most Promising Google Technology Solution Providers” in 2015. He encouraged campers to use technology to address problems, have big ideas, and to make the world a better and safer place.

Contributed by: Stacy Kastner, PhD, Mississippi State University

Robert Nall
October 15, 2016
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