SSNS - Safety & Security

The Internet is one of the most visible manifestations of digital technology^[1] or Information and Communication Technology [ICT] in the world today. Never before has there been anything like it. Total strangers thousands of miles apart, living in different countries and cultures, communicate intimately with each other, often with nothing more in common than an invisible link in cyberspace. It is a whole new social setting, one for which the rules are uncertain, indeed, for which the rules are still being worked out.

We don't want to be alarmist, because the Internet is a great source of information and entertainment. However, it can also be a dangerous place. There are predators out there that use it to kidnap children, steal credit cards and other personal information from the unwary, or circulate viruses that destroy whole computer systems. We need to know how to protect ourselves and our children from them. The following guidelines are designed to inform teachers, students, and parents about how they can ensure their safety and security when using the Internet. Our main focus is on the protection of our children and teenagers, but we also include general information for all users.

In order to assure their own and their students' safety, teachers need to be well informed on the following:

The policies on Internet safety that are in place within their school division. Because of the dangers of the Internet, it is essential that schools have a plan in place for the safe use of technology.
The legal rights of Internet users, as in copying and file sharing. Teachers need to review copyright rules on a regular basis, because they are changing to reflect the impact of technology. [See CopyRIGHT and other RIGHTS for further information.]
The legal and philosophical battle over whether the Internet should be a freely accessible information highway or a highly restrictive and costly commercialization of information. Teachers should know that everything they read about what is right and proper concerning Internet use "ain't necessarily so."
The balance between restrictive and free access to ensure optimum use of Internet teaching/learning resources. Is all the caution about posting pictures of students and their names "over-kill"? Have we become so concerned with safety that we hamper legitimate communication? Are there so many predators out there that we need to be on constant guard? As yet, there is no single answer to these questions and no consensus.
The importance of the teacher as a role model. If teachers model safe procedures for finding and evaluating websites, and discuss safety and security issues with their students, it will go a long way to ensuring that they have a positive experience on the Internet.

You need to be careful about the company you keep on the Internet. Here are some suggestions.

The Internet is a great learning tool for your children, and it can be safe for them, if you do your part as a parent. Here are some general guidelines:

^[1] Digital describes the electronic technology associated with modern computers and the Internet. Data is expressed in strings of digits (0s and 1s), known individually as bits and collectively as bytes. Before digital technology was developed, electronic transmission was by analog technology, which is still used in broadcast and phone transmission. For more comprehensive definitions of digital and analog technology, see searchsmb.com. (Click on the footnote number to return to the text)

^[2] Internet Explorer is one example of a browser that has information for setting restrictions and limitations on what can be viewed by anyone with access to your computer. Go to Internet Explorer Help - Contents - Understanding Security and Privacy on the Internet. Read information on blocking websites, disabling cookies, privacy alerts and settings, etc. For other browsers, check your Help setting and look for topics on security and privacy features, then read and set your own and your children's website restrictions and limitations. (Click on the footnote number to return to the text)

^[3] Phishing refers to bogus emails and instant messages sent to acquire sensitive personal information from the unwary. Pharming is a more insidious form of phishing because it uses viruses and other technical deceptions either to collect sensitive information or contaminate computer systems. (Click on the footnote number to return to the text)

Safety and Security