An Alternative Look at Cybersecurity Awareness in Education

Cybercriminality and cybersecurity are burning topics for anyone to discuss, but it is especially true for the education sector. A lot of research papers on cybersecurity have been published till now. Nonetheless, all these materials are persistently being ignored and information flows are going in vain. There is currently a lack of awareness amongst students, professors, and higher ED IT staff due to the absence of education that is readily available to them, according to Verizon’s “2018 Data Breach Investigations Report.” In 2018, the education industry was ranked the worst in cybersecurity out of 17 major industries.

Students and professors spend much time online. They log in to do school work, enter sensitive information, and each time risk to fall victim to identity theft or phishing attacks caused by hackers. The recent “Education Industry Cyber Incidents Report” shows that the number of cyber attacks targeting educational organizations is becoming more frequent and increasingly sophisticated.

There are many simple ways to minimize cybersecurity threats, but it starts with cybersecurity awareness. Making professors, students, and all staff members at educational institutions aware of potential threats is crucial for their safety.

Sometimes it’s worth looking at things from different points of view as they can just sound trivial but be significant in fact. The point is that building cybersecurity awareness is possible by unconventional ways and techniques. Since traditional methods do not help, there are alternative looks at cybersecurity such as gamification, cartoons, and visualization.

To show you ins and outs of data security in education, we introduce our cybersecurity helper to you – Bobby the Fish.

Bobby is an aquarium fish domesticated by an IT administrator of the University. Apart from having fins and gills as a typical fish, he is curious about the state of cybersecurity, especially at educational institutions and struggles to explore this field. And the wise EdGuards’ raven helps him with cybersecurity awareness in the education sector.