The Dark Side of Technology
Technology is wonderful. We love how much you love Boom Learning.
Alas, wherever there is an opportunity for good, there are bad actors looking for opportunities to do evil. As part of our customer education series we want you to be safe. We have a free downloadable white paper to help you stay safe and secure.
In the school setting, your two biggest risks to you and students' data are "phishing" attacks and "malware" attacks.
Both start with an email or message pretending to be someone you trust, such as your bank, your boss, or even the Boom Learning help desk (we send from help@boomlearning.com - trust only this address).
How do you protect against these attacks?
1. Is the message expected? If not, be extra cautious.
2. Does the return email address match what you would expect? If not, then suspect a bad actor and do not click links or download attachments. You can always send a new email to the contact to ask if they sent you a message and what is in the attachment.
3. Never open attachments for which you don't clearly know in advance the expected contents. Email addresses can be spoofed so don't trust attachments even if the email looks legitimate. The only exception is if you are expecting an attachment of that kind and you use malware detection software (which will flag malware attachments). When sending an email with an attachment, always take a moment to explain what is attached and why you are sending it.
4. Do the links look funny when you hover? For websites, go directly to the website and login rather than following links. Do not enter personal information into a pop-up screen.
5. US customers can report spam to the FTC. Customers in Canada can report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Australian customers can report spam to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Other customers should research "where to report spam" for their country. Since schools have become a new favorite target for attacks, be vigilant and help report the bad actors. This helps improve tools to fight them.
Be smart, be safe! And Happy Booming!