Will the phishing training go away?

Update for WDMCS Staff:

Will the phishing training and testing go away?  I feel like I’m paranoid about using email, I feel like I’m being tested all the time.

Answer:  It’s ok to be paranoid about it, you have to be – because the threat is real.   This school year alone, Iowa schools have reported 5 situations where staff members have had their bank accounts accessed because individuals released their private information to a phishing email scam.  You may have also seen on the news that several local for-profit and non-profit businesses have fallen to phishing scams, resulting in thousands of lost dollars.

The sad truth is that email phishing scams are working and the senders are now targeting non-profits and public schools because they are easier targets.  Unfortunately, this means we’ll see more training on the topic, not less.

 

Isn’t there a technology answer to solve this?

The best way to address the problem is training.   We encourage you to read the email carefully and consider what they are asking you to do….  does their request make sense?  Is there a way to confirm what they are saying through another source (can you call or email someone else to help confirm)?  Also take a look at who the sender is…  many phishing scams will come from generic accounts that don’t make sense.

 

New Securly features for parents: Pause Internet and Flagged activity notices

Securly recently announced two new features for parents:

1. Pause Internet:  The ability for parents to turn off or pause the internet connectivity on their child’s chromebook.   This is done through their mobile app, using your securly account.

2. Flagged activity notices:  Using the securly mobile app, parents can now receive notifications when Securly flags questionable internet searches.

For more information on the Securly Home App, visit:  https://vimeo.com/289429664

Q1.How do I get a Securly account?
A1. If you are a guardian of a student in grades 3 thru 12 in West Des Moines Schools  AND you have a valid email address on file in Infinite Campus  –  then you should already be receiving weekly emails from support@securly.com that contain your child’s chromebook history.

 

Q2. But I’m not getting the weekly emails, who do I contact?
Securly support can assist you at  parent-support@securly.com        They can also assist you with other questions about securly features as well.

 

Q3. Do I have to use their mobile app to access the Internet Pause feature?
A3.  Yes.   The app is called Securly Home, which is available for free –   and at this time, the pause and the notifications are only available through the mobile app.

 

Q4. If I pause the internet on my child’s Chromebook, will that impact them at school also?
A4.  No.  Parents only have the ability to control the filtering and the pause feature while the device is outside of the school.