A number of significant Australian data breaches and hacks have recently made the news, serving as a timely reminder of the importance of ensuring the security of all of our online accounts for both parents and students.
Setting robust, unique passwords is one way that we can help to secure accounts. Each account should use a unique password and, where possible, instead of using a single password, passphrases containing four or more unique words will help to improve the security of your accounts. If you struggle to keep track of all of your passwords, a number of reputable password managers can be used. The Australian Cyber Security Centre provides some useful information about creating strong passphrases at https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/publications/creating-strong-passphrases
Enabling multi-factor authentication on all of your accounts that feature this is a highly effective way of preventing unauthorised access. Multi-factor authentication involves the use of a password and some other form of validation such as the use of an authenticator app or code sent via SMS or email. More information about multi-factor authentication is available at https://www.cyber.gov.au/mfa
It’s important to help children understand the importance of cyber safety at home. The kids helpline provide some great suggestions and resources for kids and teenagers about the importance of cyber safety. These resources are available at https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/staying-safe-online
Mrs Megan Bennett
Director of ICT
