Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd., a global provider of cybersecurity solutions, reminds students that the start of the school year is always a high priority for cybercriminals. Students spend a lot of time connected to the internet whether they are studying alone, taking online or face-to-face classes, and as a result, they are highly vulnerable to cyber threats such as bank fraud, credentials theft, ID theft, or social media account takeover.
According to Check Point Research, the Education/Research sector saw the highest monthly attack volumes globally in both 2022 and 2021. In July of this year, it experienced nearly 2,000 cyberattacks per organization per week, more than twice the average of other sectors, and up 6% from July 2021 and 114% from the same period two years ago.
The pandemic has undoubtedly resulted in many online changes for education around the world, but these changes have also meant that access to school systems is now much easier, allowing hackers to infiltrate school networks. Simply clicking on a phishing email created by a hacker, which leads to a ransomware attack, is all it takes for a school to be cyber attacked. Such attacks may force schools to close for days or weeks in order to recover, resulting in lost days of learning and additional costs for schools that cannot afford to lose funding to such criminals.
“Unfortunately, many students are not aware that they could be targeted by cybercriminals, let alone how to protect themselves,” says Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East. “As is the case with the majority of cyberattacks, human error plays a significant role and students need to be on the lookout for emails and websites that appear strange. It’s also important to make sure that wherever you are studying, you have a secure connection and appropriate security software not just on your laptop but your phone and tablet too, and never ignore software updates.”
Check Point Software’s five tips for students to stay safe online:
Think before you click on a link: Phishing attacks, in which criminals impersonate well-known companies in order to steal your personal information, are becoming more common, particularly now that devices store a large amount of user information. As a result, URLs sent via SMS, messaging apps like WhatsApp, or email must be handled with caution, as they can be dangerous. To avoid becoming a victim, instead of clicking on the link in the message, go to the sender’s official website.
Use a different password for everything: It is true that having to think of a different password for the platforms you use every day is a pain. It is hard to remember them, and it would be much easier to use the same one for everything. But there is no greater joy for a cybercriminal than to come across such a user. Any student who relies on a “one password fits all” approach could see all their accounts hacked in record time. Once an attacker manages to decrypt the combination of a victim’s platform, they will try to access all of their accounts with the same key. To avoid this risk, it is essential to create a unique password for each app or service of at least eight characters that combines letters (both upper and lower case), numbers and symbols. A secure password manager such as Dashlane or LastPass can be used.
Avoid downloading attachments from strangers: An email attachment from an unknown sender can be a gateway for all kinds of cyber-attacks such as malware or phishing attacks capable of infecting the entire device and stealing all the information and data stored on it. If, in addition, the device is used for teleworking or is connected to a larger network, it could cause more serious and more extensive damage.
Never access unprotected public Wi-Fi: It is important to bear in mind that anyone, even a cybercriminal, can connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi. The main problem here is that by being on the same network, criminals can gain access to everything stored on your device. There will always be a risk when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, so it is better to think twice before doing so.
Don’t surf unencrypted websites: It is vital to make sure that the website you are accessing has an SSL certificate. This technology ensures that the internet connection is encrypted and protects any sensitive information sent between two systems by preventing cybercriminals from viewing and modifying any data being transferred, including data that could be considered personal. It’s easy to spot it by looking at the start of the address line or URL which should show an “s” after the letters http. So only click when you know the site is genuine and you see: https://
