In Cybersecurity, There’s No Such Thing as Too Much User Education
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In the modern world, children become digital citizens at a very young age. Therefore, teaching children about cybersecurity as soon as possible will result in safe and responsible digital citizens. Cybersecurity is always changing, and sometimes it is hard to keep up with. Just know that criminals are getting smarter, and without educating yourself about cybersecurity, you are putting yourself , and your loved ones, at risk. Therefore, there is never such a thing as too much education when it comes to cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity in the K-12 Classroom
Educating people about cybersecurity should begin at a very young age. In the modern world, children become digital citizens early in life, so education needs to start early too. Some important things to remind children when teaching about cybersecurity are to create strong passwords, update antivirus software regularly, stay away from suspicious network connections, and monitor email or other websites for potential scams. These are the basics that children are typically taught from the beginning of their internet use.
Many students have been taught the importance of strong passwords and not giving out personal information on the internet. Still, it is essential to explain to these students why these are important practices. Students may see these practices as no big deal, but knowing the consequences will completely change how they look at these rules. This education is essential to create responsible and safe digital citizens.
Children should also know that they should reach out to an adult when they experience something suspicious or wrong while using the internet. Now that internet and technology use happens so early in life, it is important to teach children how to protect themselves and when to call an adult.
Cybersecurity in Higher Education
Schools are prime targets for cybersecurity attacks because of the amount of personal data they collect from students. These higher education institutions have begun to recognize the threat that cyber attacks hold. Universities have created more opportunities for students to learn about cybersecurity and innovate new techniques for implementation. This education is essential for creating the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Higher education institutions have begun training engineering students to become cybersecurity professionals. For example, in 2003, Cyber Security Awareness Week at New York University was created; this conference has become an annual event where students from all over the world come to partake in competitions that demonstrate and enhance their cybersecurity knowledge and abilities.
With events like this, it becomes clear that cybersecurity has become more and more integral to a safe user experience. The innovation and new techniques outlined at these events show that with the ever-changing climate of digital relations, new cybersecurity measures must be taken to ensure the safety of internet users.
Cybersecurity in a Professional Setting
Unfortunately, many adults have not perfected their own cybersecurity practices, so they struggle to teach the younger generation proper cybersecurity techniques. It is vital for schools and other professional settings to teach their employees about the importance of cybersecurity so that this knowledge can be passed on to younger generations.
Educating employees about the risks of being too lenient with cybersecurity is essential to keeping everyone safe. Large organizations are now holding workshops for their employees to ensure protection. By educating employees, companies can ensure that not only is personal information protected, but confidential company information is protected as well.
Conclusion
As you can see, cybersecurity procedures are always changing in order to adapt to new threats; people need to be educated about these changes regularly. Therefore, it is clear that if we want to stay protected, there is really no such thing as too much user education regarding cybersecurity.