Cybersecurity is no longer just the responsibility of the IT department; it’s a collective duty that involves every staff member, teacher, and student. Human error remains the most common cause of security incidents, with social engineering and phishing posing significant threats to educational institutions. To build an effective “human firewall,” here’s how to start educating your school community on cybersecurity best practices:
1. Make Cybersecurity Training a Requirement for All
It is difficult to grab time from an already busy professional development schedule, but all employees and students should receive regular, ongoing cybersecurity awareness training.
Ideally:
- Mandatory annual training for all staff, faculty, and students
- Incorporating key cybersecurity lessons into the curriculum, especially for younger students or during new student orientation
- Formal acknowledgment of training completion to ensure accountability. There are many tools to help with this; MOREnet has Infosec IQ available behind your MyMOREnet portal.
2. Focus on Practical Topics
Your training program should cover the most critical areas, including:
- Password hygiene: Promote the creation of long, complex passwords or passphrases and discourage password reuse. Teach everyone to enable multi-factor authentication where available.
- Phishing detection: Train users to recognize suspicious email senders, unexpected attachments, links, and urgent requests for information. Staff should know to verify any unusual requests, especially those that seem to come from superiors.
- Safe use of school technology: Emphasize using secure networks, avoiding public Wi-Fi for sensitive tasks, and keeping devices locked and updated.
- Reporting suspicious activity: Make sure everyone knows how and where to report potential security incidents.
3. Reinforce Key Messages with Ongoing Communication
Cybersecurity is a moving target. Maintain awareness throughout the year through:
- Regular email tips, infographics, and posters around campus
- Frequent updates that highlight recent threats and safe practices
- Live events with security experts
By embedding cybersecurity into the fabric of your organization, you reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks and empower everyone to play an active role in protecting both themselves and your institution’s data.