Week Eight - Security

As several of my past blog posts and class discussions have shown, online communication tools can be absolutely fantastic. Consider just a few of the positive elements. With some of the more high-tech choices (something like Skype, for example) you get the ability of using real-time, high quality audio and video, while still retaining a text ability. Something much simpler (almost any sort of electronic mail – email – application) will not have to rely upon a fast internet service, even though online capability is still necessary. Depending on the email service, whether hotmail, yahoo, google, etc., the user is able to transport most types of documents in digital form. This exchange occurs almost instantaneously and nowadays can be sent and received from so many different devices, it boggles the mind (video game consoles, desktop, laptop and netbook computers, phones, PDA’s, tablets, e-readers, Mp3 players, to name a few). However, probably the worst drawback of email is that it remains asynchronous communication. I also like to call this “passive communication” – i.e., even if I send someone 500 important messages, that person does not even have to open the message, much less read it and then respond to it.

Concerning school computers, it seems that most security programs reflect the district’s budgetary constraints. I have seen public schools with few computers, much less internet security tools. Speaking generally, most schools seem to choose companies because of name recognition, something like McAfee or Norton. Not that these programs are not capable of defending a school network; rather, many schools only choose the most basic options when protecting their network. Basic protection, in a school filled with perfect students, would be more than adequate. Generally, that is not the case; and even if students behaved in an appropriate manner, accidents do happen. I have several different protection programs on my personal computer, but most importantly, I am sure to steer clear of sites that might contain security threats whether those risks are real or imagined.