Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
At Durham District School Board (DDSB) we understand that learning is increasingly taking place online. We want to teach our students how to interact with online materials while staying safe. Below are a variety of resources to guide guardians and students.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM) is an internationally recognized campaign held each year to inform people around the world about the importance of cyber security.
Below you will find cyber safety resources organized as a four-week campaign by DDSB staff to help students, families and staff stay cyber safe while they learn and connect with each other online. We hope you find these resources helpful.
| Week 1: Phishing Email Threats | ||||||||||||||||
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Why would cybercriminals target me through phishing emails? The answer is that we have valuable personal information and/or access to sensitive information that may be of interest to cybercriminals. They may want to use this information today, or in the future. We may even be used as leverage in a larger attack. This week will focus on why DDSB students and staff need to be aware of online cyber threats, and the motives of cybercriminals and individuals with malicious intent. Below are some learning opportunities for both staff and students. Public Resources |
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| Week 2: Social Engineering Threats | ||||||||||||||||
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Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information – For example, clicking on a link, posting information or photos on our social media accounts and sharing sensitive information with colleagues, friends, or outside agencies. This technique can be a tricky way for a cyber-criminal to gain personal information and credentials. We need to think before we respond, post, download attachments or click on links that show up in our emails and on messages in our phones. Public Resources |
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| Week 3: Everyone Has a Role in Cyber Security | ||||||||||||||||
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With the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to work, teach, and learn remotely from home. Although DDSB has returned to an adapted model that includes both in-person and remote learning, there remains a risk factor when teaching and learning remotely. No matter if we are working or learning from school, the office, or home, we all have a responsibility to safeguard our devices – whether we are using personal devices, board-issued devices or online education tools; sensitive information whether our own, board business information or student personal information needs to be protected. Public Resources |
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| Week 4: Staying Safe in the Cloud | ||||||||||||||||
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This week, the campaign will focus on understanding threats in the cloud and why it is important to approach the cloud with caution. Putting files and information “in the cloud” is commonplace in today’s digital world and should be approached carefully. The way we use a cloud service can have a significant impact on the security of information that we upload. Public Resources |
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Additional Resources |
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Five Key Tips for Digital Parenting
From Digital Citizenship Guide for Parents
| Don't be scared! |
| You hear a lot of scary stuff about kids and the internet, but the fact is that most kids do just fine. Think of the internet as being like a swimming pool: the best way to keep your kids safe there is to teach them how to stay safe. |
| Talk to your kids. |
| Don’t wait until things have already gone wrong to talk to your kids about online issues, and don’t just have one “big talk.” What your kids need from you is guidance, so they’re prepared to deal with problems before they happen, support from you when things do go wrong, and
for you to reinforce these messages by continuing to talk to them as they get older and are more able to make decisions for themselves. The three main sections of this guide have lots of tips on how to talk about all of the major online issues. If you have older kids and haven’t talked to them about the internet yet, don’t worry: it’s never too late to start! |
| Be a part of your kids' media lives. |
| What your kids are watching, playing, reading and listening to is a big part of the person they’re turning into, and their online lives can be just as important to them as the “real world.” Younger kids are usually glad when their parents show an interest in the things they like, so get them to show you how their new favourite game works or why they’re so excited about joining a new social network. You can also use media to talk about sensitive issues: kids may be more comfortable talking about sexting or bullying when you’re discussing a character in a TV show than someone they know. |
| Be the person your kids come to when they have problems online. |
| A lot of the time, kids don’t want to go to their parents when things go wrong because they’re afraid they’ll get in trouble. When your kids start going online make sure they know clear procedures on what to do if things go wrong, like if they can’t figure out a game or they accidentally access something unpleasant. (Check out the “How do I talk about...” and “How do I ...” sections below for some of these procedures.) If they’re in the habit of coming to you about the little things, they’ll be a lot more likely to talk to you about the big ones. |
| Set rules and communicate values. |
| The internet may seem like the Wild West sometimes, but the rules you set still affect how kids behave online. What’s most important is that your rules are a way of getting across the values you want your kids to live by, that way they’ll keep living by them even when they’re grown up and out on their own. |
Digital tools in the DDSB
Students in the DDSB leverage digital through a number of online tools. Through the student registration process, parents/guardians agree to the student use of the following online platforms:
- Microsoft O365
- G Suite for Education
- Moodle
- D2L Brightspace
Acceptable and Safe Use Policies
Students and staff use of digital tools is governed by the DDSB Safe and Acceptable Use Policy.
Elementary Safe and Acceptable Use Policy
Secondary Safe and Acceptable Use Policy
Additional digital citizenship resources
Be Internet Awesome family resources
