• Internet Security

    INTERNET SAFETY

  • Overview

    Definition

    Internet safety includes but is not limited to: system security, password security, and content filtering.

    Why It’s Important

    Internet use comes with some inherent dangers. Identity theft, unlawful access to computer content, and damaging or dangerous content are all concerns for our web users, both in and outside the district buildings. ISD728 has in place several layers of protection from outside threats to our users and devices. However, there are threats and dangers that can still interfere with students’ use of the internet at school and at home.

    Connections

    School

    At school, students are protected with highly effective web filtering at several layers of the internet architecture. The district firewall protects from dangerous viruses and malware that could corrupt our systems or access our data, and internal filtering like GoGuardian protects students from accessing dangerous or inappropriate content on their district provided devices. This may include pornography, hate group sites, or sites advocating or related to self harm. Violations and concerns trigger notices sent to principals or other administration as to what content was accessed and by whom so they can follow up on anything dangerous.

    Home

    At home, school-provided devices continue to filter out dangerous content as described above, but students’ other devices (phones, tablets, video game consoles) can expose them to dangerous content, scams, or predatory users. It is important for parents to be vigilant as to the security of their home internet connections, the filtering and privacy settings available on personal devices, and to help students be aware of potential scams and outside dangers to their devices and to themselves. 

    FAQ

    Can students access all YouTube content at school and on school devices?
    YouTube is filtered somewhat for content in the district, both at school and at home on district devices. However, it is impossible to filter all dangerous content, so all adults (teachers, parents) must be vigilant and help students identify and report dangerous content on YouTube.

    What happens if students access dangerous content on a district device?
    The GoGuardian web filter blocks dangerous content, makes a note of flagged content, and sends a reports to the building principal if inappriote content is accessed.
    Visit GoGuardain Parent App for information on how parents and guardians can also monitor their grade 3-12 children's chromebook browsing activity.

    My child shared their school device password with someone and now they are accessing her material. What do we do?
    The RapidIdentity single-sign-on portal has a password reset function. Directions HERE.

    How can my student keep their school accounts secure?
    Students should never share passwords and should frequently change passwords on RapidIdentity. More info HERE

    Can I get filtering like what they have at school on a personal device on my own home network?
    Several 3rd party products exist that provide content filtering, as well as many built-in privacy and security settings available on most digital devices. Here are some links to device-specific resources for these.

    Can student Chromebooks get viruses?
    Chromebooks are very virus-resistant. Should something look out of line, students can take devices to the Chrome Depot for advice or assistance.

    Resources