Information Security Awareness at schools

This article deals primarily on my recent experience with a 11 year old kid and influence of technology on him.

I visited my friend’s home where I came across my friend’s tenant kid, an 11 year old, talking about a social networking site. Initially I was impressed with the influence of the technology on today’s kids, where I remember I was never exposed to computer till late in the graduation and in today’s world computer is taught as a subject right from the 4th standard or even lesser. All was well in the conversation I had with that sharp kid, till he came to a point that he maintains 2 social network accounts just to fool around people and he finds fun in that! Moreover, he is connected to more than 200 people of whom he came across half of them in the chat room! This whole thing impressed me initially but scared me with the way younger generation are influenced.

Scared me ‘cause this whole concept of social networking has revolutionized, but I believe it has a strong influence both in a good way and bad way on the younger generation. Questions that rose in my mind are:

• Is it ethical to have 2 identities and
• Isn’t the social networking has to have a better way to restrict access?
• Are the kids matured enough to participate in such sites

… this way too many questions flashed my mind. I wanted to speak to the kid about what he was doing was just unsafe and might land him in danger, but couldn’t as he just left without even bothered to say a goodbye to attend his father downstairs.

My way back home, same conversation revolved back of my mind. I thought how badly the younger generation is influenced by the latest technology. I was thinking how to restrict this kind of bad influence on everyone, should the restriction be from technology front or should more awareness be created. I thought no matter what… restriction at the technology level might not completely solve the issue, in spite of setting up restriction all it’s going to result in is build more curiosity to crack the technology. Hence restriction at technology by itself isn’t enough; you need to create more awareness. There is a dire need to educate the younger generation on few things, where I believe everyone has a role to play, be it teachers at the school or parents.

We are taught about what is good and what is bad social behavior but when it comes to technology schools aren’t teaching the same, I believe since technology is now so very close to everyone, it’s important children are taught how effectively it should be used, it’s Dos and Don’ts. Otherwise, there is a great danger foreseen in near future.

I strongly believe basic security tips should be introduced as a part of computer course right from the schooling! If schools can introduce computer course at the schooling level so even security should be taught from the schooling. What say?