Panda Security, a provider of cloud-based security solutions, released the results of its Kindergarten-12 Education IT Security Study that revealed that 63 percent of schools are infected by IT security attacks at least two times a year.
The chief objective of the study was to analyze security practices and top security concerns in schools and school districts in the U.S. The study made a startling conclusion that IT security and network monitoring is a resource-heavy, time-consuming effort that schools struggle to manage efficiently.
Some of the major conclusions of the study are: IT security issues are consuming school staff time, diverting attention from the business of education; even though schools have deployed best IT security services, the study emphasizes that they can be made even better; the advent of social media is a major concern for schools, but there isn’t a general consensus among schools on methods to deal with security issues related with social media; schools recognize outside devices introduce external risks, but struggle to fully integrate security policies for multiple devices; and more.
Rick Carlson, president of Panda Security (News - Alert) U.S. exclaimed that while the Internet is an invaluable tool for education, it can cause serious interruptions to day-to-day operations if schools fail to properly address security concerns. The findings of the Kindergarten-12 Education IT Security Study point to a clear need for a security solution that effectively balances cost, time management and superior protection.
Apart from examining the IT security and network monitoring issues associated with the K-12 schools, the Panda Security report also furnished valuable tips to the schools to help them enhance security.
Some of the safety tips are: investing in cloud-based security such as the Panda Cloud Office Protection that is designed to safeguard schools from the latest malware and other threats; demanding registration of external devices and quarantine the IT infrastructure from the external threats introduced by iPhones, iPads, personal laptops and the like; allowing technology do the leg work and take advantage of the centralized consoles offered by managed security services; chart out some rules and regulations about accessing social media via the school network; institute regular security awareness education programs to keep school populations in-the-know about the most common tactics employed to exploit users; and more.
Nathesh is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Nathesh's articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by Jaclyn Allard