Principals unite to stop online attacks


Nearly 40 principals have come together at a forum to find out how they can guard students against online risks.

Thirty-seven principals from schools across Brisbane attended the Eyes Open Social Media event on Thursday morning, which discussed the importance of cybersecurity in schools.

The principals heard that the most significant risk to students was the lack of security in schools, which cyber specialist, Patricia Munn, said should prompt adults to “step up and get educated” about social media.

“The adults get on social media sites, if they get on at all, because their children are using it and they ask the kids how to use it,” she told The Brisbane Times.

“It should be the other way round, if my child wants to use it, I need to get educated and teach my child how to use it as safely as possible.”

Munn said Thursday's forum provided principals with the opportunity to host a program that would teach students how to securely manage their social media accounts.

“We educate around the fact that everyone is saying make your account private, secure, but no one is giving the children the tools to do that,” she said.

“The security options on social media sites are a lot more confusing than people think they are.”

Munn added that most people assume that navigating such settings is quick and easy, but warned that was often not the case.

“There are a lot more options for security settings if you know how to look for them,” she said.