Combating the Evolving Security Threats in School Network, Learn More!

FREMONT, CA: School network security forms the implicit part of the education realm. Schools run open environments where administrators, teachers, and students share information. But it is essential to manage security as teachers and students use the internet to connect, share content, and learn. It is hard to know what levels of access to set, and what regulations to put in place, but protecting the network is a necessity.   

Being in touch with an IT support team can always help protect the school network. The unit can aid in creating an incident response plan and go through it, and it is a smart move to have a list of contacts and plan prepared before an incident happens. To be able to secure the school environment, it is vital to create and maintain a list of hardware and software that is used in the network.

Once get hold of the environment, the next step to take is securing different areas including user's password, account lockout thresholds, two-factor authentication, and single sign-on. Students and staff bringing their device and connecting them to the school network must make sure that their devices are secure. The school network is where all the related data is stored. This makes it essential to design and configure the network and keeping data safe.

Many of the devices that connect to a school network are Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD), and sometimes students and staff may be using a malware infected device, which makes it hard to manage the security for them.  Along with this, a school might have third parties who support its IT needs. If third party access and remote access are not secured, attackers can use it to gain access to the network.

Sometimes, a device connecting to the IT network may not be actively maintained or unpatched that could take an attacker getting access to the system. Also, students and staff may reuse passwords across multiple accounts or use easy to guess credentials. Ensuring two-factor authentication for everyone to combat this challenge may not always be possible, that further leads to exposure to vulnerability. It starts with a framework, and the right tools are essential, while security is always a mindset.