Getting Smart With Security for Online School and Remote Work

Everyone seems to be working and learning from home these days, and it’s getting easier to do so. However, many people don’t think about security as much when they are working from home vs. working in the office. It’s just as important to pay attention to cybersecurity when you’re in a home office as it is anywhere else, and this includes students learning from home.

Cybersecurity Basics

When you’re working or attending online school from home, all of the best practices you’ve learned are still in effect. It’s important to be wary of opening unexpected attachments as well as clicking on any links emailed to you. Keeping challenging passwords and changing them regularly is also important. Password protect all devices and teach kids to keep their passwords both strong and private.

Familiarize yourself with phishing scams, and make sure that kids in online school know what they are and what they do. And when it’s time for software updates, download them right away instead of waiting until a more convenient time. Software updates are often improvements to the security of the system. It’s also important to use encryption on your router to keep prying eyes away from your data streams.

Multiple Users

With so much being done from home, it’s become common for kids to share their parents’ setup. However, this can come with a lot of problems if the right steps aren’t taken to keep users separated. It’s important to have separate accounts with separate logins for each person who will use a computer. This ensures that kids won’t accidentally get into your files and cause any problems, and it allows a more secure environment for working remotely. It also means a more personalized experience for each user. And for parents, it allows the child’s account to be protected with parental controls as needed.

Parental Supervision

One of the things that can make your child’s experience the safest is to simply supervise where they go online. Be aware of the sites they are using and how they are using them. Kids can be tempted to try to make friends online, and they may give out more information than they should. Be sure to talk to them about what information they can give out and what needs to stay private. At home, you are a vital part of your child’s IT security. Take the time to take a look at what they are doing online regularly. 

With so many people both working remotely and supervising kids in an online school, using the computer can be a source of friction when both parties need it. Having a set schedule of when each person uses it can be a helpful way to prevent arguments and ensure that both of you are able to get your work done. 

If you need better IT security, call us today to find out how we can help. Your computer’s security is vital during these times of working and learning remotely. We can help you stay more secure and ready for remote work.