Cyber safety awareness, the need of the hour in schools

Most schools are yet to take it seriously, says Dhanya Menon, a cyber crime investigator

While schools took their classes online after the lockdown was announced in March 2020, recent complaints from students which have emerged on social media pointing to predatory behaviour by a faculty member online has fronted a host of cyber safety concerns that schools need to address. “Most schools are yet to take cyber safety seriously,” said Dhanya Menon, a cyber crime investigator who has been working with educational institutions on awareness and sensitisation about cyber safety for over 10 years. She points out that with classes going online, student details — be it their phone numbers or e-mail IDs — are now available with school faculty members and might be accessible to external resource persons as well. “This data can be handled by a number of people and schools should have a policy in place to protect this information,” she explained. Cyber safety counsellors should be accessible to the students and be a part of the school child protection committee.