Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting
networks, systems, programs, and data from criminal or unauthorized use.
Cybersecurity is important because it protects
all categories of data from theft and damage. This includes sensitive data,
personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI),
personal information, intellectual property, data, and governmental and
industry information systems.
Cyber security Tips for Students
Following
are Cyber security Tips for Students that can practice while making use of the
internet:
1. Use
encrypted websites and apps:
Encryption is
the best way to protect any data that is sent online. So, use only websites
with URL that begins with “https” to protect from data leaking. Similarly, have
a look at the privacy policies of the apps before starting to use it.
2. Create
unique and strong passwords:
It is good to
have a password manager to create complicated passwords which has a lot of
relevance when kids stay online..
3. Think
before you click:
This is a
quite simple but important tip or advice that can be given to a student who is
spending time online. Never click on suspicious links that are sent by
strangers and do not reply to messages from unknown sources.
4. Be careful
about what you share:
Kids should
be responsible about what they share online as the impact may be big at times.
There are many reported cases of identity theft by using the sensitive details
that people share online.
5. Secure
your social media:
Always make
sure that students stay protected while using social media. For example,
setting the Facebook account to ‘Visible to friends only’ is the best way to
protect data that are shared from strangers.
6. Be
watchful about phishing scams:
There are
lots of reports coming everyday of people being trapped by phishing emails. Emailing
from sources that look genuine and making people share sensitive data like card
details or passwords is their main idea. Be watchful about such scams and never
ever share personal data without double checking the source of an email.
7. Lock up
and shut down:
Keep the devices
like mobile, tablets or laptops protected with a password or thumb scan and
always log out and shut down after use, especially when leaving it alone.
8. Do not use
unsecured Wi-Fi sources:
Never use
unsecured Wi-Fi sources, It is always safe to use mobile data or use Wi-Fi only
when it is protected, or when we are very sure about the source.
9. Safeguard
the personal information:
Sharing email
IDs, passwords etc with others can allow them to impersonate on wrong grounds.
10. Always
have a recovery plan:
Even when all
precautions are taken, there can be odd cases when mistakes happen. In such
situations, there is no room to stay panic but react and respond on an
emergency basis and seek the next steps to solve the problem.
Talk with
parents or teachers regarding what to do next if a data breach has occurred.
Keep a back up plan ready to overcome such possible scenarios.