Educating students and staff about phishing attacks is essential to protecting schools, according to Matt Britland, Director of IT and digital strategy at Alleyn’s School in London. In an article for EdExec, Britland said that IT employees often don’t comprehend how hard it is for teachers, students, and other employees to defend themselves against phishing attacks while trying to keep up with their regular workload.
Spreading awareness as often as possible is the key to helping people identify phishing attempts. Britland says faculty should be frequently reminded and educated about these attacks during meetings. They need to be taught to beware of unusual links, requests for sensitive information and credentials, and unexpected documents.
“It is a lot to remember, but vigilance is important and, if staff are careful when looking at emails, most phishing attempts can be spotted and reported to IT support,” Britland said.
For students, Britland says IT security should be included in the school’s curriculum. The ability to protect oneself against online attacks and social engineering is a skill that will benefit people for the rest of their lives.
Britland also recommends simulated phishing tests, which can give faculty and students hands-on experience with phishing attacks, with the added benefit of allowing the school to gauge its security posture. New-school security awareness training can provide teachers, students, and staff with the knowledge they need to keep themselves and their schools safe from cyberattacks.
EdExec has the story: https://edexec.co.uk/techno-geek/