Keeping Schools Safe Online: A Comprehensive Guide to School Network Security

Published on: January 21, 2024

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10 min read

It's critical to monitor and maintain network security at your institution. Teachers and students communicate, share knowledge, and learn from one another online. Determining the appropriate access levels and enforcing regulations and limitations can be challenging. However, network security is a must, not a choice.

In this article, we will discuss the following topics to assist you in maintaining the security of your school network.

• Why is School Network Security Important?
• What Are the Current Threats and Vulnerabilities?
• What Are the Best Practices for Network Security?
• How Can Schools Educate and Involve Stakeholders?
• How Can Schools Plan and Strategize for Network Security?
• What Are the Tools and Technologies Available for Network Security?
• How can Zenarmor help the network security of Schools?

Why is School Network Security Important?

Network security is crucial in the quickly changing educational environment, where digital technology is becoming a necessary part of learning. This section examines the transformational effects of secure networking on the learning environment and highlights the urgent need to strengthen educational institutions against cyberattacks.

The U.S. Department of Education reports that more than 50 million students are enrolled in K-12 schools nationwide. The industry of education has not been exempt from the ongoing increase in cyber threats. Although exact numbers are difficult to determine, information from public and private sector sources points to a concerning pattern. Between 2018 and 2021, there were over 1,300 reported cyber incidents, up from 400 in 2018. Cybercriminals are focusing on school computer systems, interfering with daily operations, and generating serious problems.

Sensitive information on students, staff, and course materials can be found in plenty of educational institutions. As systems become more interconnected, threat actors find schools to be appealing targets. Wide-ranging effects include ransomware attacks, data breaches, and vandalism of websites. These risks not only jeopardize data but also interrupt the flow of education, causing financial losses and learning interruptions that might last for days or weeks.

In a time when learning is no longer limited to traditional classroom settings, the digital sphere offers both opportunities and difficulties. Educational institutions establish an atmosphere that protects learning and the sensitive data entrusted to them by encouraging collaboration and investing in strong security measures. The integration of technology and education necessitates constant attention to detail, which makes network security a crucial component in promoting a safe and fulfilling learning environment.

What Are the Current Threats and Vulnerabilities?

To fully comprehend the necessity of cybersecurity, one must begin with the dangers. For this reason, we have put together a quick overview that covers the top 5 cybersecurity risks that are more likely to affect educational institutions. Cybersecurity is simply taking precautions to safeguard your website from online threats and assaults. The current cyber threats and vulnerabilities on school networks are as follows:

• Phishing: The majority of cybersecurity risks originate from phishing attempts. This is a tactic used when someone gets an email that seems authentic and requests any personal information. These emails may request passwords, personal account verification, consent to utilize personal information and other things. It's likely that everyone has previously encountered some bad emails of this type. Fear not, even the most seasoned pros may be tricked by these dishonest emails.

  Here, the answer doesn't take much work. First and foremost, you must pay close attention to any odd signals you are receiving and concentrate on them. Investing in a spam filter is a better way to accomplish that, as it should identify all of the spam and phishing attempts for you. Additionally, you should have filters on your email account that route dubious communications straight to spam folders. Finally, don't open the link or follow any of the instructions in the strange email you received, even if you tried all the other procedures and it still didn't work. Designate it as spam, let your network know about it, and get on with your day. The fact that these emails demand immediate action from you is a dead giveaway that they are spam.

• Human element: Human nature poses a significant challenge to cybersecurity. Human mistake is the most common source of cybersecurity breaches. People's decision-making processes are influenced by a multitude of circumstances and are not faultless, unlike those of robots. This sometimes demonstrates a lack of knowledge of cybersecurity as a process rather than the negligent actions of people in charge.

  The majority of educators in contemporary classrooms are already fully aware of the internet's many drawbacks. They are aware of issues such as persistent texting during class and cyberbullying. But they can be blind to the true threat posed by cyberattacks against educational institutions. These might include everything from financial manipulation to stolen personal information. Therefore, all staff members at the school should be informed of these risks.

  Here, staff education and increased dependence on security services are the answers. It is necessary to inform school personnel about the risks associated with these security lapses, common threats, and preventative measures. Furthermore, it is always preferable to have secure logins for the network, restrict access to any sensitive data, and ban most websites that aren't really required for teaching.

• Comment Injections of Spam: The usage of the internet by schools is one item that is frequently disregarded. Nowadays, the majority of schools have an official presence on social networking sites, blogs, and websites of their own. All of these things need to be managed carefully and under control. The majority of these blogs continue to be inactive and have inadequate security. This puts them in grave danger, in addition to giving them a dishonest appearance. They suggest that you are inexperienced and don't have a fundamental comprehension of the internet. This instantly makes you a hacker's or heckler's easy target.

  You must control your web pages carefully, intentionally, and with a better understanding in order to avoid it. When it comes to blog comments, use spam filters. This will finally assist in preventing any malicious link insertion on your website and blog.

• Malware: One of the most frequent and harmful types of cyberattacks is malware. Unlike phishing, it is far more difficult to identify early on. It may propagate itself in a number of ways and take on many shapes. People frequently mistake it for a virus that is attacking their gadgets. They frequently possess an adaptable character, changing their coding in reaction to their surroundings. On the other hand, malware may target the system as a whole if it is a shared network, like the one at school.

  Unless you are an expert, doing it on your own is not the best course of action in this case. Malware is a severe threat. Strong security procedures and a solid understanding of cybersecurity are necessary to combat it. Whitelisted websites and restricted access are possible further precautions. In the event of a hack, get expert assistance as soon as possible to assess the damage.

• The act of formjacking: Formjacking is a cybersecurity threat that differs somewhat from all the others listed above. When someone uses illicit tactics to seize partial or whole control of a website, that is considered criminal action. This happens as a result of security flaws discovered by a hacker. Such cybercrimes frequently occur with the intent to steal sensitive data, such as credit card details, for example. Such crimes can occasionally even go unreported, as hackers can visit a website and go without interfering with ongoing activity.

  This problem's solution is comparable to the last one. An expert is needed to handle such an attack before anything else. Nonetheless, it is advised to take some protective actions. Conducting vulnerability testing is one of those steps that should help find the security system's weak points.

What Are the Best Practices for Network Security?

You may provide a safe and secure learning environment for your students while maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of their information through the implementation of the following best practices into your district's or school's cybersecurity strategy. To guarantee that everyone has a safe and successful educational experience, be watchful and aggressive while tackling cybersecurity issues. The best practices for school network security are as follows:

1. Protect Student Information: Your IT staff should be extremely cautious while gathering and storing student information to ensure that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is protected. Make sure that secure storage procedures are followed, and refrain from sharing student data beyond what is strictly required for academic purposes. For example, IT should activate access restrictions and limit access to authorized persons only when sharing student information via cloud-based collaborative tools.
2. Teach Staff and Students About Phishing: Phishing attacks might be directed against administrative personnel, instructors, and students. District administrators should confirm that cybersecurity awareness training is routinely carried out by IT departments to assist users in identifying dubious emails or links. Interactive exercises and age-appropriate real-world examples help students learn how to spot phishing emails.
3. Adopt Robust Password Guidelines: District administrators ought to mandate that staff and student accounts have secure passwords; "12345" or your birthday are no longer suitable (not that they ever were). To increase security, promote the use of passphrases that combine letters, numbers, and symbols. To improve account security against unauthorized access, mandate that employees and students generate passwords that are at least one character long and that they change them on a regular basis.
4. Safe Wireless Networks in Schools: Members of the IT department must ensure that school Wi-Fi networks are secured with strong passwords and encryption. To reduce the possibility of security breaches, keep visitor networks and internal networks separate. To enable online learning while keeping network segregation for sensitive and administrative data, use secure Wi-Fi access points in classrooms.
5. Install a firewall for protection: Strong firewalls should be installed at the network perimeter by your school's IT staff to monitor and manage incoming and outgoing traffic and prevent unwanted access. During school hours, firewalls should be set up to prevent access to websites and programs that are not instructional in nature. OPNsense powered with Zenarmor NGFW is the best firewall for school networks.
6. Make Regular Backups of Your Data: To guard against data loss from cyber events, districts must periodically backup vital educational data, such as student information and curricular materials. In the event of a ransomware attack, IT professionals guarantee that crucial academic resources are easily restored by automating data backups to a safe offsite location.
7. Continue to Learn About Cyber Threats: Through industry news and instructional forums, district leaders and IT teams stay informed about the most recent cybersecurity risks that target educational institutions. After all, human error and carelessness, such as incorrectly designing databases or falling for phishing schemes, are to blame for 74% of data breaches. Keep up with cybersecurity groups that offer particular insights into new dangers that K-12 schools must contend with in order to take preventative action.
8. Limit Who Has Access to Critical Data: Only authorized individuals should have access to administrative files and sensitive student data. IT may prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing sensitive data by using role-based access control to give particular permissions based on staff roles.
9. Encourage a Cyber-Aware Society: District administrators must urge employees, instructors, and students to report any questionable internet behavior or security occurrences right away. Provide a transparent procedure for reporting cybersecurity problems so that users may alert IT or school administration to any possible dangers or breaches.
10. Perform Continual Evaluations of Security: IT should conduct recurring cybersecurity audits to find holes and weak points in the systems and network of your institution. To find areas for improvement, district administrators might hire outside security experts to do penetration testing on the school's apps and infrastructure.

How Can Schools Educate and Involve Stakeholders?

The challenges educational institutions confront in preventing cybercrime only emphasize how important it is for people to be informed about cybersecurity. A data breach in the education sector costs, on average, $3.65 million USD, according to IBM's 2023 Cost of a Data Breach study. This is a little less expensive than the $3.86 million cost from the previous year, but it is still a concerning figure. Education and research are the most targeted industries, according to a different Check Point Research report. They experience twice as many assaults every week, more than 2,000 total, than any other business.

One of the most basic and effective actions that businesses can take to safeguard their data and other assets is cybersecurity awareness training. There is a great chance that a single human error in education might result in a significant security crisis.

Both instructors and students run the risk of falling for phishing scams, which might allow hackers to gain access to the school or cause other harm. The human factor is involved in over three-quarters (75%) of data breaches, and cybersecurity knowledge is essential to avoid them.

Educational institutions gain from cybersecurity awareness training by utilizing human awareness as a tool to augment technology solutions and by complementing current IT operations. It safeguards confidential information, gives employees more authority, and cultivates a security-conscious culture within an organization. Insiders learn how to identify and handle possible risks. Additionally, it can lessen the effects of any cyberattacks that take place.

A school should be sure to put in place a cybersecurity awareness training program that fits its needs and adheres to best practices in order to get the maximum benefits from it. One-time training sessions are unlikely to be successful since human risk remains a concern even after the sessions are over. It is advised that users receive ongoing training to stay current on the newest technologies and the state of threats.

Users will be empowered to learn in a meaningful way and motivated to make long-lasting changes through an efficient cybersecurity awareness training program. Depending on their specific goals and available resources, institutions might search for a wide range of techniques and metrics in a training program. Some of the cornerstones of an effective training program are:

• High-quality, timely content that is presented in a variety of forms with gamified components to entice and inspire consumers.
• Realistic simulations created to provide users with practical experience in identifying and addressing risks.
• Training that is role- and risk-based and customized for particular jobs within an organization.
• Pre-built and customized training alternatives to provide some flexibility and choice.

Cybercriminals frequently target the education industry because of the many vulnerabilities that make educational institutions vulnerable to attack and challenging to defend.

Large amounts of sensitive data are managed by schools, faculty, and student accounts and devices, which provide a massive attack surface, and budget and personnel problems are widespread in the sector. A strong cybersecurity awareness training program and a comprehensive, multi-layered security plan are necessary for attack prevention.

How Can Schools Plan and Strategize for Network Security?

In a time when digital technology permeates practically every part of our lives, having a strong cybersecurity plan is essential. A proactive method of safeguarding digital assets from unwanted access, usage, disclosure, interruption, alteration, or destruction is known as a cyber security plan. It entails a thorough strategy, including the technology, regulations, and processes required to stop, identify, and respond to cyberattacks.

Organizations that lack a clear cyber security plan are more vulnerable to ransomware attacks, data breaches, and other online dangers. Such attacks may have serious ramifications, including monetary loss, harm to one's character, and legal implications. Businesses may reduce risks and guarantee the protection and privacy of their sensitive data by devoting time and money to creating an efficient cybersecurity plan. Schools plan and implement network security on their IT infrastructure by following the next steps:

1. Recognizing Cyber Risks and Weaknesses: Understanding the many cyber threats and vulnerabilities present in today's digital environment is essential to creating a solid cybersecurity plan. Threats from the cyber world take many different forms, such as ransomware, phishing, malware, social engineering, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults. There are distinct approaches and sets of precautions needed for each kind of hazard.

   On the other hand, vulnerabilities are holes or flaws in an organization's security system that an attacker may take advantage of. Out-of-date software, incorrect setups, weak passwords, a lack of staff understanding, or insufficient security measures may cause these weaknesses. Finding weak points in the networks and systems that make up your organization is essential to creating a strong cybersecurity plan.

2. Evaluating the Current Cybersecurity Position of Your School: It's critical to evaluate your organization's present cybersecurity posture before you plan and build a cybersecurity strategy. To find any holes or flaws, this entails performing a comprehensive assessment of your current security policies, practices, and technology. You may learn about the advantages and disadvantages of your organization and identify areas in need of development by carrying out a thorough review.

   Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT) is a useful method for evaluating the cyber security posture of your organization. While penetration testing mimics actual cyberattacks to find any flaws or weaknesses that may be exploited, vulnerability assessments search your systems and networks for known vulnerabilities. These evaluations help shape your cyber security strategy and offer insightful information on the security posture of your school.

3. Establishing Targets and Intentions for Your Cybersecurity Plan: Establishing specific goals and objectives for your cybersecurity plan comes after you have evaluated the present cybersecurity posture of your organization. These aims and objectives should be in line with the overarching business goals of your organization and take into account the unique cyber threats and vulnerabilities that are pertinent to your sector and industry.

   Make sure your goals and objectives are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) when you set them. For instance, one particular objective would be to cut the number of successful phishing assaults in half over the course of the following six months. Your cyber security plan will have a clear direction and be able to be measured effectively if you have defined goals and objectives.

4. Establishing a Framework for Risk Management: An essential component of any successful cybersecurity strategy is risk management. It entails determining, evaluating, and ranking the risks to the digital assets of your organization and putting precautions in place to lessen those risks. A risk management framework guarantees that resources are allocated correctly to address the most essential issues and offers a systematic approach to risk management.

   The process of developing a risk management framework involves many phases. The first step is to determine and evaluate the hazards that your organization is exposed to. This entails carrying out a comprehensive risk assessment, which entails determining assets, analyzing vulnerabilities, calculating the possible effect of threats, and allocating risk levels.

   Next, order the hazards that have been discovered according to their likelihood and possible impact. This enables you to concentrate your efforts on taking care of the most serious hazards first. Develop and implement risk mitigation solutions, such as installing security controls, upgrading software, and training staff on best practices, after hazards have been prioritized.

5. Making an Incident Response Strategy: Cyber attacks and security breaches are always a possibility, regardless of how strong your cyber security plan is. Because of this, having a well-defined incident response strategy in place is crucial. In the case of a security occurrence, an incident response plan specifies what should happen, who should be engaged, what should be done, and how to report and document the incident.

   Involving relevant stakeholders from throughout the business, such as IT, legal, HR, and PR, is crucial when creating an incident response strategy. Assign each team member a specific job and responsibility, and provide lines of communication for reporting and elevating issues. Make sure your incident response strategy is current and effective by testing it frequently.

6. Putting Security Measures and Controls in Place: Any cybersecurity plan must include the implementation of security controls and safeguards. The precautions and preventative measures known as security controls are implemented to keep the digital assets of your organization safe against unauthorized use, access, disclosure, interruption, alteration, or destruction.

   Administrative, technological, and physical controls are just a few of the security controls that may be put in place. Policies, procedures, and training courses that specify how staff members are to handle and safeguard confidential data are examples of administrative controls. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems, encryption, and access control techniques are examples of technical controls. Access control systems, security cameras, and locks are examples of physical controls.

   The unique demands and requirements of your organization must be taken into account when adopting security controls. To determine which areas need protection the most, do a risk assessment. Then, order the deployment of security controls according to the degree of danger.

7. Teaching and Practicing Cyber Security Best Practices with Workers: Employees are one of the weakest points in any organization's cyber security protection. Negligence, ignorance, and human error frequently result in security lapses and jeopardize confidential data. Employee education and training on cybersecurity best practices are therefore essential.

   Organize frequent training sessions covering subjects including social engineering, phishing awareness, password hygiene, and safe surfing practices. Give staff members explicit instructions on how to report any questionable activity or possible security problem, and encourage them to do so. Encourage a culture of security awareness among staff members, and make sure they know how important it is to safeguard the organization's digital assets.

8. Testing and Revising Your Cybersecurity Plan Frequently: New vulnerabilities are found every day, and cyber dangers are always changing. To guarantee the efficacy and applicability of your cyber security plan, it is imperative that you test and update it often. To find any new threats or vulnerabilities, do regular penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and security assessments.

   Keep abreast of the most recent security best practices, industry norms, and legal needs. To keep up with the latest information on security trends and new threats, connect with cybersecurity professionals through webinars, conferences, and industry publications. To handle emerging threats and vulnerabilities, evaluate and update your cyber security policies, processes, and technology on a regular basis.

9. In conclusion, the process of developing a cybersecurity strategy is ongoing: Creating a successful cybersecurity plan is a continuous process that calls for constant assessment and development. Safeguarding your school's digital assets requires a sustained effort rather than a one-time effort. You may build a strong defense against cyberattacks and reduce the chance of a security breach by following the instructions in this article and remaining alert to changing cyber threats.

   Recall that everyone has an obligation to ensure cyber security. All personnel, from front-line staff to senior executives, have a part to play in protecting the organization's digital assets. Keep up with the newest risks and best practices, invest in the necessary technology, and cultivate a culture of security awareness to remain one step ahead of cybercriminals and safeguard your most valuable assets.

What Are the Tools and Technologies Available for Network Security?

Various types of network security technologies exist, including:

• Firewalls: A firewall uses pre-established security policies to regulate network traffic flow. Malware, other attack vectors, and undesired traffic, such as that which originates from dubious websites, are blocked by firewalls.
• Network segmentation rules: These guidelines specify the limits between network components. There are assets in each section that share tasks, risks, or functions. A perimeter gateway, which keeps the network safe from outside threats and guarantees that sensitive data stays within, is one example of how to do this. It divides the network from the Internet. To provide even more security and access control, some businesses create internal barriers.
• Virtual private networks (VPNs) with remote access: When working remotely, workers of a business are protected from cyber risks by remote access VPN. By using data encryption, endpoint compliance scanning, and multifactor authentication (MFA), it protects the integrity of critical information.
• Email security solutions: Systems, goods, and services that shield an organization's email accounts and information from outside threats are referred to as email security solutions. These are additional to the functions that come pre-installed with email providers.
• Data loss prevention (DLP) solutions: To protect sensitive data from being accessed by people outside of a business, DLP solutions integrate best practices, technology, and processes. This data comprises compliance-related information as well as personally identifiable information (PII).
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems: Intrusion detection and prevention systems, often known as IDSs or IPSs, are designed to identify and stop exploitative vulnerabilities as well as brute-force and denial-of-service (DoS) assaults.
• Antivirus or antimalware solutions: In order to identify and stop malware from being executed on a computer, tablet, or other business device, antivirus or antimalware software is installed on all network-connected endpoints.
• Load balancers: Several servers are used to split up network or application traffic. Load balancing boost an application's capacity and dependability.

Additional technologies for network security encompass cloud and hyperscale network security solutions, sandboxing, and zero-trust network access (ZTNA) models.

How can Zenarmor help the network security of Schools?

School districts and colleges now have a solution with OPNsense and Zenarmor that not only satisfies all requirements for educational institutions but also offers the protection of a next-generation firewall with incredible filtering features like content filtering and application control, all at a low cost per device.

Because of OPNsense's extremely adaptable plugin architecture, developers may quickly and simply add new features to the firewall. By utilizing OPNsense's architecture, Sunny Valley Networks Cyber Security Inc. has created Zenarmor, an easy-to-install plug-in that augments OPNsense with Next-Generation Firewall functionality.

Within the OPNsense community, Zenarmor is a well-liked web content filtering/application control program. Before making it public, the Zenarmor developer team gave it a rigorous test. Thousands of Zenarmor installations have been made worldwide since 2017 in residences, small enterprises, academic institutions, and enterprise-level networks. In school networks, Zenarmor offers a trustworthy and robust technology that is utilized with confidence.

Free to use is Zenarmor Free Edition. For academic institutions, the Premium Subscription is available at a 50% discount and offers more sophisticated features.

The OPNsense + Zenarmor combo is the finest available option in terms of both value and cost.

Any networking environment, container, cloud, virtual, or bare-metal deployment (firewalls, switches, and UTMs) handling Layer 3-4 traffic, is what Sunny Valley Networks wants its software to function in. As of March 2021, supported systems include Centos, AlmaLinux, Debian, Ubuntu, FreeBSD, and OPNsense/pfSense firewalls. To put it another way, Zenarmor gives IT managers a wide range of platform alternatives to select from based on their hardware, technical expertise, and financial constraints. They are able to choose the hardware and operating system for their firewall that best suit their requirements.