Safety and security

Topics

Choose a topic to revise

Sample objectives

What this unit covers

• Physical safety: Students should be aware of and comprehend safety concerns related to ICT, including risks such as electrocution from liquid spills near electrical devices and contact with live wires, fire hazards from overloaded sockets or overheating equipment, tripping hazards from loose cables, and injuries from heavy equipment falling. They should also understand the reasons behind these safety risks and the methods to mitigate them.
• eSafety: Understand the importance of data protection laws, including the principles behind them and why they are necessary. Recognize what constitutes personal and sensitive data, such as names, addresses, birth dates, school photos, and medical records, and know why this information must be kept confidential and secure to prevent improper disclosure. Appreciate the need for eSafety when using the internet, email, social media, and online gaming. Learn how to reduce risks by using trusted websites recommended by educators, employing age-appropriate search engines, being cautious with emails from unknown senders, understanding the dangers of sharing personal data or images via email, knowing how to block and report users on social media, avoiding meeting online contacts in person, refraining from sharing inappropriate images or language, respecting others' personal data privacy, and protecting personal and financial information while gaming online.
• Security of data continued: Students should be familiar with the security of data, including various threats such as hacking, phishing, pharming, smishing, vishing, viruses, malware, and card fraud. They should understand the characteristics and impacts of these threats, as well as the necessary protective measures against hacking. Additionally, students should learn about the prevention methods for phishing, pharming, smishing, and vishing, and how to avoid virus infections from downloaded files. They should also recognize the risks of card fraud, including shoulder surfing, card cloning, and key logging. Furthermore, students should know how to protect data through methods such as biometrics, digital certificates, secure socket layer (SSL), encryption, firewalls, two-factor authentication, and the use of user IDs and passwords. They should understand the purpose and function of each of these protective measures, including how biometric data is utilized, the contents and purpose of digital certificates, the role of SSL in creating encrypted connections, the importance of encryption for safeguarding data across various platforms, the function of firewalls, and how user IDs and passwords enhance data security.