Technology experts from Charles Sturt University are helping protect tech-savvy teens’ smartphone data as part of a recent cyber-safety initiative.
Students were given a lesson on cybersecurity and safety at Wagga Wagga High School recently, as part of the broader ‘Protecting children from smartphone leakage of security sensitive information’ program running throughout 2023.
Project lead and Associate Professor in Computing in the Charles Sturt School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering Yeslam Al-Saggaf said the lesson showed children how to turn off their Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, how to change the name of their smartphone and how to switch off their location services.
“Children think when their phones are in their pockets, they are muted,” Professor Al-Saggaf said.
“What they don’t know is that as long as their phones are not turned off, they can leak a substantial amount of security-sensitive information.”
Cybersecurity expert and Charles Sturt alumnus Dr Alan Ibbett delivered the lesson during the school’s assembly, which was one part of the broader initiative supported by the eSafety Commissioner under Round Three of the Online Safety Grants Program.
Despite NSW public secondary school students being banned from using mobile phones at school from Term Four this year, cybersecurity remains essential even when devices are not in use.
“Children are not aware, for example, that when their location services are on, anyone can track their locations over time and can then draw their locations on a Google map,” Professor Al-Saggaf said.
“This is why it is important that children protect themselves from smartphone’s leakage of their security sensitive information.”
Wagga Wagga High School Deputy Principal Nathan Gunter said they were thrilled to help students stay as safe as possible, both on- and off-line.
“While I believe students are comfortable with the use of technology such as smartphones and other digital technologies, it is also important for them to understand how they work and the implications both good and bad,” Mr Gunter said.
“Sessions such as this help students to make informed decisions.”
The Project will also look at the distribution of a new technology, M5Stack devices, to participating schools, as well as the delivery of online workshops to school staff and parents to raise their awareness about the risks associated with smartphone leakage of sensitive information.
A cyber security lesson was also held at Mater Dei High School on Tuesday 29 August, and another will be held at The Riverina Anglican College on Wednesday 11 October.
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