Why Should Cybersecurity Be Taught at Schools?

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In recent years, the popularity of technology usage has more than just doubled. Almost every house in the US has internet access, laptops, and other technological devices that can be used to browse through the world wide web. So, it is essential for the school children to be familiarized with the rules and acquire the necessary knowledge of using it so that they will be safe when it came to looking something up on the information superhighway, both for study and personal purposes.

Since local police tend to come in classrooms and tell the students about how to be safe in the streets and give information so that the students be aware of the local crime around them, cybersecurity experts should do the same. Children of all ages must know how to protect themselves from cyber-attacks and maintain their digital presence.

Are you doing enough to protect your children from the online world? Every parent has to ask themselves this question. Here are the main reasons why you should take action and educate yourself and your children with the needed knowledge.

Selfies

Taking selfies has become a habit of many people. But most of them haven’t even thought of the fact that it can present a lot of danger. Over 93 million photos of this type are taken every day. Still, the saddest part about it is that not only adults take selfies, but younger children as well. If a child that is six years old has a digital presence in one of the social media platforms, it is an issue that must be addressed.

Taking such pictures doesn’t seem a problem to them, but in some cases, it may lead to acquiring a psychological issue, such as depression or narcissism. Children must understand that when a post a photo of them, not only their friends and followers can see it, but anyone else that has access to the world wide web. And when a personal photo gets into the wrong hands, a lot of problems may arise. The Internet is filled with people that have the worst intentions and don’t care about anyone else’s feelings.

Location Services

For a long time, phone service providers have been doing their best to convince people that having location services switched on is necessary so that if your device gets lost, it will be easy for you to track it down. Of course, it is a good thing. But in the same way, you will be able to find your smartphone; other people will be able to do it too.

So, whenever you take photos or post them on your Instagram, or any other social media account, it is best to turn the location services option off. You might think that it is cool when you go on a trip somewhere and let all of your followers know where you went by writing the exact location, but it can be dangerous. Just think for a second. How easy would it be to track you down if you always post photos with your exact location? Would you want a robber to know when you are home and when you went on a trip somewhere out of the town?

Privacy

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There is no such thing as privacy on any of the social media platforms. Even if you think that your personal account is private, since you have set it in your account settings, you are wrong. It is simple enough for someone from your group of followers to like your photo or reposts it, that person’s followers will also see that photo, and who knows who that person might be.

The same applies to online essay writing services. Even though many companies say that they have privacy rules, it is not always true. So, you must be careful not only with your social media account but with any other website that you plan on using.

The Bottom Line

The importance of making sure that students know what cybersecurity is and how to stay safe on the web cannot be stressed enough. Kids should be aware that the internet can also posses danger for their lives. The only issue of this subject being taught in schools is that the teacher is not always up-to-date with the innovations. However, this problem can be easily solved, and children can get the needed information on the matter of cybersecurity. Everyone should be aware of the dangers that are in the online world.

Mark Funk
Mark Funk is an experienced information security specialist who works with enterprises to mature and improve their enterprise security programs. Previously, he worked as a security news reporter.