- Explain what you think are some of the key differences between cybersecurity, cyber awareness and cyber safety. To what extent are you teaching these in the classroom or to what extent do you think they should be taught and why?
Cyber awareness, cyber safety, and cybersecurity are three alternative aspects which support the overall cyber protection of an individual. Although these aspects differ by definition, their functions work in conjunction with each other for ultimate cyber protection. Each aspect prompts and entails the further practise of cyber protection.
Cyber awareness necessitates consciousness of the potential risks of being online and taking personal steps to combat these risks, like the creation of strong passcodes and two authentications. It is vital for students to understand why and what personal information must be protected, explaining the risk and consequences of potential cyber negligence.
Cybersecurity encompasses cyber systems and procedures, adapted to protect the personal information of the individual from potential attackers. Majority of schools create personal accounts for their staff and students which are password protected. For further security, the investment into firewall technologies, are strong testing procedures adapted to prevent attackers and maintain secure technology and systems.
Cybersafety involves the ‘digital footprint’ of an individual and applying safety procedures to reduce this imprint, to avoid potential exploitations. For students, understanding the oversharing of personal information regarding themselves or others has a consequence especially concerning whom you are speaking within online chatrooms. Students must understand the responsibility they have to remain safe online, just as if they were in real life. Removing this false ideology of just because they are behind a screen, they are ‘safe’ when they remain at risk of dangers, when not applying cyber safe procedures.
Cyber protection should be consistently taught several times a year, at every stage of a students schooling journey. The severity and demand for cyber protection knowledge increases the older students become in alignment with their exposure.