As Students Start School Online, Here's How To Protect Their Personal Information From Possible Threats
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — As many students prepare to begin the school year virtually, some experts warn about possible security threats when it comes to protecting personal information.
With some children preparing to spend hours a day in a virtual classroom, hackers have more opportunity to commit cybercrimes.
"The cyber threat landscape continues to expand and it's not just being we're all working from home, although that is a significant portion of it," said Terrence McGraw with PC Matic.
McGraw, the president of the cybersecurity firm PC Matic, said there are a few things you can do to help keep your family safe.
"The number one thing is making sure you have a good solid antivirus solution to make sure you're not getting attacked by drive-by criminal behavior," McGraw said.
It's also important to monitor children to ensure they are on the correct website.
"Especially for the smaller kids, just make sure they're protected because they don't know what lurks out in the badlands for them," he said.
McGraw also recommends enabling two-factor authentication as an added layer of security and checking with your child's school to see what they're doing to keep everyone safe.
"It's ok to engage with teachers and saying, 'What solution are you using? How are my kids going to connect to the classroom?' and making sure due diligence is practiced on both sides.
If your account is compromised, he recommends notifying your financial institution and changing your password from a different device.
"If you've been hacked by a keystroke logger or some other form of RUD kit, they're going to take your new information as well," McGraw said.
He said it wouldn't be a bad idea to notify your local police and file a report.
These tips are not just for students, anyone can use them as more of life shifts to online.