Security Issues and Ethics In Education

Businesses, schools, and individuals rely on computers and networks to be safe, reliable and efficient. It is essential to take steps to protect the systems and information from known risks.  Employees, teachers, and students have an obligation to use computers responsibly and not abuse the power of a computer. Schools have the added responsibility and challenge of keeping their students protected against unethical practices and people.
 

DID YOU KNOW...

that an unprotected computer could be compromised by an intruder within 20 minutes?!?

 

As a teacher, I must be prepared to continuously update my educational technology knowlege and technology integration skills to offer future generations the best possible education.  
Following these safe computing tips will help minimize the risk of viruses. Two popular antivirus programs are Norton AntiVirus and McAfee AntiVirus. They can be set up to monitor for viruses, including scanning removal storage media and files downloaded from the Internet. It is important to set this program to update virus definitions automatically every week. Sometimes there are false warnings, known as virus hoaxes, that are spread over the Internet. A quick check of the Symantec Security Response Hoax Web page can verify the validity of any virus warnings.

People can use computers for both good and bad actions.  The standards that determine whether an action is good or bad are called ethics.  Computer ethics are the moral guidelines that govern the use of computers, networks, and information systems.

Five areas of computer ethics frequently discussed are

1. unauthorized use of computers
2. hardware, software, and information theft
3. information privacy
4. copyright
5. the existence of objectionable materials on the Internet

It is important to protect children from being exploited. One way the government has helped is by passing the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in 2000. This act protects children from obscene, pornographic, and other information considered harmful to minors. Windows and Mac computers have parental controls available in their operating systems. Parents can use these tools to prevent their children from accessing inappropriate material on the Internet. They can also install special filtering software programs, like Net Nanny, for additional protection. Educators can protect students by implementing these controls and also following an accetable use policy, creating a resource page on their Web site for students to quickly access teacher-approved Web sites, and actively monitoring students as they access the Internet.

PLEASE NOTE: This post is made possible by information found in chapter eight of  Shelly, Gary, Glenda Gunter, and Randolph Gunter. Teachers discovering computers: Integrating technology in a connected world. Seventh Ed. Boston, MA: Course Technology, 2012. Print.