The main focus of this week's lesson was on computer security and the proper management practices required in order to keep your machine safe from malicious software. Undoubtedly, the Internet is the most valuable resource available to educators and students. However, it is the job of the teacher to make sure that their computer is protected and that students do not access any material that would be considered inappropriate. The teacher must explain the school district's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) with their students to ensure they know their responsibilities while online.
Malicious software is a term used to identify any program that may have detrimental effects on your computer, with the most common type being a virus. This software has the ability to affect the how your computer operates daily by deleting or corrupting saved data and has possibility of being spread to others via E-mail. Malicious software can also be spread to others by USB drives, CD's, an e-mail attachment, or any other computer files. The only way to ensure that your PC is safe is to keep an updated version of a virus protection program, such as Norton or AVG that can locate these files immediately and remove them.
In order for the students to browse the Internet safely they need to be informed of a couple safety issues. Both teachers and students do not need to open any e-mail attachment unless they know who sent it to them. There is software that can be disguised as an attachment, which will start installing itself when you open it. Students need to know not to download or install any software to any computer that belongs to the school district without specific approval given by the appropriate administrator. It is important that students follow all safety rules when using the Internet and it is the job of the teacher to ensure they do at all times.
At Barren County High School, we have two computer labs, a library, and several classrooms that are equipped with computers for student use. The district technology office has properly installed virus protection programs on every machine within our district to ensure that they are safe. However, I do have a couple of concerns. All computers in every school district is connected to their schools networking system, which gives the opportunity for malicious software to spread to other machines connected to the network when one computer becomes infected. Their needs to be a way to isolate infected computers to ensure that the program does not spread. Students must also be informed to not give out their login passwords to anyone to allow access to their own personal files. I know for a fact that both teachers and students are capable of doing this because I have witnessed it happen within our school system. By allowing somebody else access, it allows them view your own personal data and files that you have stored there.
Each district needs to be aware of all the malicious software available that could have harmful effects on their machines. We are responsible for informing students on the potential dangers that lurk while browsing the web. Remember, it is the job of both teachers and administrators to provide students with a safe learning environment.
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