Antivirus Software for School Computers

 Antivirus Software for School Computers

The recent cyber-attacks that have attacked various companies in recent days, along with the continuous threat of viruses, malware and, in general, any virtual 'entity' that can affect the privacy and security of our computers, have made the Those in charge of laboratories and computer rooms in schools are alert to improve the level of protection of all these devices while using antivirus and few other points that should be kept in mind.

Today we want to delve into this question and talk about how to shield school computers to make them more secure and protect them against all these external attacks. To do this, we propose some ideas and tips designed specifically to apply in the computer rooms of schools.

1. Computers, Always Up To Date

Precisely the ransomware attacks that occurred in mid-May 2017 affected several hundred computers that were out of date. Software developers, including those of operating systems, strive to provide regular updates that fix security holes found in their programs.

These updates are offered free of charge and for long periods of time, so it is essential to keep our computers and devices always updated with the latest 'patches' available. There are several ways to do this, the easiest being to maintain automatic updates in the system that every little time install what is necessary at all times.

2. The Software Must Be Legal

Beyond the ethical and moral debate that involves using non-legal software in the classroom, one of the great problems of installing copies downloaded from the Internet in the educational environment is that they can open a multitude of security holes, and be a headache in the classrooms.

Legal software also allows us to install updates that, as with operating systems, solve problems that may be found in different programs. In addition to this, we must also avoid downloading from unsafe sources to avoid installing or using patches or cracks, which are usually used to incorporate malicious software on our computer.

Of any program there are always free alternatives that usually fulfill the function of the first. For example free programs to edit images, CAD design or platforms to create a free website.

3. Antivirus? Yes Thanks

Many years ago, antivirus software became absolutely essential, even more so in the school environment and with shared computers to which any student accesses and shares files and files through USB memory sticks. Having an antivirus installed is essential, as well as of course keeping it updated and with the latest available alerts.

Along these lines, a few years ago Microsoft incorporated its own antivirus into the Windows system, under the Windows Defender suite, and that may be an interesting 'native' option. However, there are dozens of free and paid antivirus that can help us avoid viruses and malware, both the most common and the most specific.

4. Reset after Every Restart

Mechanisms that reset the computer after each restart are also very common in the educational environment. Or in other words, any action taken by the user will be eliminated once the computer is shut down or restarted.

This initiative is very interesting since it prevents malicious software from remaining on computers, although it does not act until it is restarted. For this functionality it is possible to do it both through hardware (more secure, but also more expensive) or software.

5. Backups Always Up To Date

One of the worst things that can happen to your computer when faced with a malware attack, of whatever type, is that you lose the data, files and jobs that you have created with it. A quick solution is usually to format the computer and reinstall everything, losing the information stored on it.

For this reason, and given this possibility, it is very important to make backup copies every little time. In the case of computers that are shared in schools, it is essential that each student is in charge of managing their files and work, saving them on an external device (such as a USB memory stick) or uploading them to a cloud storage service.

For the laboratory administrator, it is interesting to have backup copies of the system and all the programs that have been installed, for example through images of the hard disk or specific software for backups.

 

6. Have Your Students Use Their Heads

No, if you click on that link you will not inherit a fortune from a Nigerian prince, and if you give your mobile phone to a website, it is most likely that you will have problems with your next bills. It is important to use your head, and many times we teachers have to educate our students in the world of the Internet.

Because beyond the four most common pages, on the Internet there is a lot of picaresque that we must know and know how to deal with. Do not install software that comes from unofficial sources, or never pay for anything before making sure; be careful what you install and always check that there is no problem. If in doubt, avoid it or, at least, find out well before proceeding.

A few basic tips can save you and your students a lot of trouble — and their families, of course. And always, always, keep in mind that we do not know who may be watching us or who may use the computer on which we are writing. Finally, we recommend that you follow these tips to use shared computers in schools to add an extra security to your day to day in the classrooms.