Many parents have already carved out a spot in their house for their children to do their online learning. How many parents have done their own homework to make sure that virtual connection between home and school is as secure as it can be?
Geoff Hancock, Director of Engineering and Operations for Cybersecurity Global Services at St. Louis-based World Wide Technology, says one of the first steps is to change any standard password that came with your internet router. The next step is to make your network invisible.
Hancock says if your child is participating in video conferences with teachers and classmates, be sure to locate the webcam away from sensitive information, "there could be documents on the walls, bills or personal data from the parents that could be visible on the desk or wherever."
Hancock says it's your right to ask the school if they have an encrypted and password protected network and whether any third-party vendors they use, do the same.
Finally, he says to be cautious of the websites recommended by teachers and administrators. Hancock says if they don't start with "https" they are not secure and you should not use them.
For more information on cybersecurity and other resources from WWT, visit their website.
