Teacher Ed Tech Resources

Computer & Network Security

As more and more of our communication and record keeping takes place electronically, it is important to ensure the security of the information on your computer and in your home drive. There are a few tips to making sure you remain the only person with access.

Don't leave either your desktop computer or your Chromebook logged into your account and unattended.

• If you are leaving the room entirely, either log off completely, or lock the computer.

• Locking the computer is great if you're stepping away for a few minutes and have programs up and running and don't want to have to reopen them all when you come back.

  • Windows PC: Simply hold the Windows key (it's between Ctrl and Alt on the bottom left side of the keyboard, and press L. Immediately you'll go to a blue screen that tells you to press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to log in. You'll enter your password and the screen will go back to exactly where you were when you locked it.

  • Chromebook: Press the key on the upper right of the keyboard with a padlock on it. Use your password to unlock it.

Never share your password with anyone else. Enough said.

If you think there's a chance someone might have found out what your password is, change it.

• In fact, even if you don't think anyone has, it's not a bad practice to change it every few months. I realize it's a pain sometimes to keep track of all the passwords we have, but take it from someone who has had an email account hacked before, it's worth the trouble to avoid the headache of a compromised account.

• To change your MCSD network password, log in as you would normally. Once you are fully logged in, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete. On the bottom of the screen that pops up, press the button to change your password. You'll need to fill in your current password, then put in your new password twice to make sure you haven't mistyped it since you won't actually be able to see the letters. It's that simple.

• To change your Google password, click on your initial or picture in the upper right of the Chrome browser, and click on "Manage your Google account." Click on "Security" in the navigation on the left, and then look for the section called "Signing in to Google."

Use different passwords for different accounts.

• This is probably the hardest one of all to follow. With the increasing numbers of websites, email accounts, etc. that we need passwords for, the natural urge is to use the same one for all of them. It would be so nice to only have to remember one password. The problem is, if someone does gain access to your password, they now have the ability to log into all your accounts. That's potentially very bad.

So with a few relatively simple things, you can help make sure that you remain the only person who can access your files, grades, email, etc.

For more information on your responsibilities when it comes to digital security, please read this.