School Security :: November 25, 2008

Security Spotlight

Mastering Anti-Virus in Pasco County

If your district is still having its client computers downloading anti- virus updates from a vendor site, machine by machine, Kevin Stiles, network specialist for the Pasco School District in Washington, has some feedback: You're working too hard; you're wasting bandwidth; and that approach really isn't scalable.

Read Complete Article | Back to top

School Security News

Survey Finds Basic Cyber Security Education Absent

Only 25 percent of educators feel comfortable teaching students how to protect themselves from online cyber predators, cyber bullies, and identity theft, according to a recent study by The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Educational Technology, Policy Research and Outreach (ETPRO).

Read more | Back to top

Teens' Online Safety Improved by Education, Research Shows

New research shows that teens' online safety is improved by education. Researchers from the University at Buffalo and University of Maryland surveyed 285 preteens and early teenagers, both male and female, to determine how important they thought it was to protect their privacy online and whether those beliefs affected what actions they took to protect that privacy.

Read more | Back to top

Student Information Taken in Disk Theft

The theft of a computer disk with student information has caused embarrassment and expense for a school district in Tennessee. According to coverage in The Jackson Sun, the disk containing the social security numbers and test scores for a school's 2007-2008 sixth graders was taken from the car of an elementary school principal in the Jackson-Madison County School System.

Read more | Back to top

20,000 K-12 Schools Adopt Free Web Security Tool

Schools across the United States have been turning in increasing numbers to free and open source solutions, including solutions in the category of Web security. According to DNS provider OpenDNS, more than 20,000 schools and districts so far have adopted its free Internet security service designed for filtering Internet content for students and staff.

Read more | Back to top

Cyber-Crooks Disguise Malware as Files Related to 'High School Musical'

Schools may want to bolster monitoring of student use of peer-to-peer file sharing networks over the next few months, according to PandaLabs, the research arm of Panda Security. The company, which sells security solutions, has reported that numerous downloadable songs and videos related to Disney's movie High School Musical are being used to disguise malware, including viruses, worms, and Trojans. The infected files are distributed through peer-to-peer file sharing networks such as eMule and eDonkey.

Read more | Back to top

Q1 Labs Offers Free Tool for Log and Compliance Management

Q1 Labs announced the availability of a free, downloadable log management and compliance product that provides users with visibility across networks, data centers, and infrastructures.

Read more | Back to top

Coming Up

Find events at THE Journal's online Conference Calendar.

T.H.E. Journal Opportunities

Share Your Best Practices

T.H.E. Journal is currently looking for the following types of articles for future issues and for our eNewsletter, T.H.E. SmartClassroom:

  • School Perspectives - discuss a specific topic, trend, or concern about education technology.
  • Case Studies - have you implemented technology and learned a lot from the experience? If so, share your efforts about what worked -- and what didn't.

If you have a potential article, or questions about the above topics, please e-mail [email protected]

==================================================

EduHound.com

  • EduHound Directory is a highly specialized K-12 educational directory with categorized resource links.
  • EduHound Lesson Plans feature thousands of free lessons that meet state and national standards.
  • EduHound Site Sets are collections of topic-based online resources.
  • Classroom Tools & Tips: Eduhound's highly popular newsletter that provides valuable ed tech resources to incorporate into K-12 curriculum. Educational topics, preformatted templates, technology tutorials, and practical tips are featured. Published on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays of each month. Sign up for free by clicking here.

Awesome Clipart for Educators

Awesome Clipart for Educators offers educators FREE clipart, backgrounds, fonts, icons, worksheets, wallpaper and more. http://www.awesomeclipartforeducators.com

EducatorTemplates.com

Your FREE directory of customizable & printable education related templates.
http://www.educatortemplates.com

Featured

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • cybersecurity book with a shield and padlock

    Proposed NIST Cybersecurity Guidelines Aim to Safeguard AI Systems

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology has announced plans to issue a new set of cybersecurity guidelines aimed at safeguarding artificial intelligence systems, citing rising concerns over risks tied to generative models, predictive analytics, and autonomous agents.

  • open laptop with various educational materials like charts, quizzes, and documents emerging from the screen

    Pear Deck Learning Debuts New AI Features

    GoGuardian recently introduced new artificial intelligence features within its Pear Deck Learning curriculum and instruction platform, designed to aid educators throughout their teaching journey — from lesson planning to assessment.

  • students raising their hands and participating in a classroom discussion

    Report Explores Link Between Student Engagement and Learning

    Over 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that student engagement is a critical metric for understanding overall achievement, according to a new survey report from Discovery Education.