The Tech Edvocate

Top Menu

  • Advertisement
  • Apps
  • Home Page
  • Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
  • Home Page Four
  • Home Page Three
  • Home Page Two
  • Home Tech2
  • Icons [No Sidebar]
  • Left Sidbear Page
  • My Account
  • My Speaking Page
  • Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
  • Newsletter Unsubscription
  • Our Brands
  • Page Example
  • Protected Content
  • Register
  • Request a Product Review
  • Shop
  • Shortcodes Examples
  • Signup
  • Start Here
    • Governance
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • The Edvocate
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue

logo

The Tech Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • Prepare Your IT Department for an AI Skills Gap

  • Emerging Technologies for Tracking COVID-19 in Higher Ed

  • Screencasting Adds Engagement to K—12 Classrooms

  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence

  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech

  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond

  • Generational Differences Affect Tech Initiatives In Higher Education

  • Mixing And Matching: How To Blend Online Learning And AI

  • Understanding Institutional Reasons to Move to Cloud

EdTech Startups & Businesses
Home›EdTech Startups & Businesses›Edtech Startup Cybersecurity: 7 Tips for Keeping Your Company Safe

Edtech Startup Cybersecurity: 7 Tips for Keeping Your Company Safe

By Matthew Lynch
May 11, 2017
Spread the love

Startup entrepreneurs tend to suffer from a bevy of misconceptions. For example, you might think that if you work hard, success will definitely come; you might whole-heartedly believe that since you founded the business, you can run it however you like; and you might suspect that your teeny-tiny business is off the radar of hackers and cyber-thieves. All three of these delusions will sink your business ― but none as catastrophically as the last.

Everyone is vulnerable to malware, but small businesses tend to be prime targets for cybercriminals. Your limited resources and lackadaisical attitude toward security makes it that much easier to infiltrate your network and steal precious data. Worse, because edtech assets exist almost entirely online, nearly everything you work for is available for a cybercriminal’s taking. Therefore, it is even more important that edtech entrepreneurs put in extra effort to keep their startups secure. Here are a few top tips to ensure your edtech stays safe.

Learn It All and Teach It All

Believe it or not, the legions of cybercriminals aren’t your startup’s biggest threat ― you are. Human error is the number-one cause of insecurity within a company, so the more you know about security and secure practices, the better. As your business expands, it is vital that you educate your team with the same knowledge. If everyone understands and respects security rules, you are significantly safer from cyberattack.

Have a Plan for Web Security

Often, a startup’s website is one of just a few marketing materials the business can afford. Thus, having an attractive and functional website is vital to your startup’s success. Unfortunately, websites are easy targets for hackers, especially when they utilize common hosts or lack basic protections like unique root passwords and SSLs. Since there are plenty of obscure ways cybercriminals can mess with your website, you should consider hiring an experienced web development team instead of trying to protect your web assets yourself.

Write a Privacy Policy Your Customers Will Read

Nearly every startup these days runs on data, but edtech ventures are particularly interested in collecting customer information. When you collect so much identifying and personal data, a breach is even more disastrous. Therefore, you must draft a privacy policy that clearly outlines what data you gather and how you use it. It is most important that your policy be accessible and decipherable, so your customers feel confident that you will uphold their privacy.

Keep Your Work Devices Protected

Installing anti-malware software on all devices used for work should be a no-brainer, but modern startups utilize such a plethora of devices and systems that often, business leaders let some fall through the cracks. Just as you wouldn’t allow in-office workers to install and maintain their own security software, you shouldn’t expect telecommuters and mobile workers to keep their devices safe from attack. Every device connected to your startup should benefit from the same, high level of security, which might mean overseeing installation personally.

Update, Update, and Update Again

Outdated software is like a welcome mat for hackers. Every program on every work device should adhere to a strict update schedule to make sure that no software leaves vulnerabilities through which a cybercriminal can wriggle. Often, employees put off software updates because they interrupt workflow and seem to waste time; you must ingrain in your team the importance of updates or else accept updating as one of your many responsibilities.

Use Encryption, Even If You Don’t Get It

Encryption is a vital element of any sound security plan. Encryption is also an exceedingly complex science, so it’s more likely than not that you won’t understand exactly how it works. Still, much of your data should be encrypted; in fact, there are laws mandating that some types of data always be protected by layers of encryption. If you aren’t confident in your ability to encrypt your most sensitive data, you should hire a security expert to help.

Be Serious About Passwords

Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that a secret code is all that separates your precious information from a malicious thief. In fact, many people disbelieve this fact, and as a result, they craft short, easily guessed passwords that fail to protect them against cyberattack. If you cannot implement more secure measures like dual authentication or biometric locks, you should at least be serious about how you generate passwords. If nothing else, they should be about 15 characters, mixing letters, numbers, and symbols to form a meaningless string.

 


Spread the love
Tagscybersecurityedtech companyedtech startup
Previous Article

Need to Get Your Edtech Startup’s Cash ...

Next Article

5 Things That Parents Should Know About ...

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    Kiko Labs Adds New Games and Desktop Access to Help Early Learners Build the Foundational Cognitive Skills Necessary for School ...

    June 8, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Uncategorized

    How I Teach: A science teacher’s Method for pushing past ‘I don’t get it’

    June 8, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    Is EdTech the Future of Parental Engagement?

    August 19, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Uncategorized

    Why is a STEM education important? Because it’s going to help me build a better water system for Ethiopia.

    June 8, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education

    How can we learn to reject fake news in the digital world?

    June 7, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    4 Edtech Companies That Are Closing the Achievement Gap

    July 7, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Best of the Best ListsEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    The Tech Edvocate’s List of 27 Assessment Apps, Tools, and Resources

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTechInfluencers

    Trailblazers in Edtech: Nichole Pinkard

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTechPersonalized Learning

    What Are the Benefits of Learning Analytics?

Search

Login & Registration

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Prepare Your IT Department for an AI Skills Gap

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 3, 2021
  • Emerging Technologies for Tracking COVID-19 in Higher Ed

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 2, 2021
  • Screencasting Adds Engagement to K—12 Classrooms

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 1, 2021
  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 26, 2021
  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 26, 2021
  • 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 11, 2017
  • 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2017
  • Why Mobile Technology Enhances Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 14, 2016
  • What is the Future of Online Learning in Higher Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 2, 2018
  • 7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 5, 2018
  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 26, 2021

    China Is Teaching Children about AI in Kindergarten. Should the US Be Worried?

    […] possibilities which is ...
  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 26, 2021

    The Significance of Technology in Your School

    […] Dictionary defines “Innovative” ...
  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 25, 2021

    Virtual Learning Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

    […] applications and platforms ...
  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 24, 2021

    How Can We Use Chatbots in Education?

    […] chatbot is any ...
  • Let’s talk Tech – Sine up for Math
    on
    February 23, 2021

    7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    […] Lynch, M. (2017, ...

EdTech Policy & Reform

  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    How Much Bias Is Okay in Your School?

    Spread the loveThe algorithm has proven itself to be a handy tool when it comes to solving education problems. It’s also not without bias.  You may be wondering how some ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    Edtech Should Complement Good Pedagogy, Not Attempt to Replace It

    Spread the loveThe newest generation of edtech is downright amazing; it’s no wonder that various education stakeholders might be a little excited about its potential to transform education. However, edtech ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

    Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to ...
  • EdTech FuturesEdTech Policy & Reform

    3 Reasons Why India Will Be A Leader in the EdTech Industry in the 21st ...

    Spread the loveAccording to a joint report by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How Does Technology Immersion Shape the Brain?

    Spread the loveDo you wonder what all of the screen time we have is really doing to our brains? As edtech continues to rise in prominence throughout the world, this ...

EdTech Startups & Businesses

  • EdTech Startups & BusinessesOnline Learning & eLearning

    Using Nudge Theory in Your Corporate Online Learning Classes

    Spread the loveAfter reading this headline, you may be asking yourself, what is nudge theory? Nudge theory centers on positive reinforcement and inferred suggestions to motivate a person to complete ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Bringing Education into the Business World

    Spread the loveU.S. businesses spent nearly $20 billion on training in 2019. That number decreased by roughly half from the year before. Companies aren’t providing fewer professional development opportunities for ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    You Must Include These 3 Things in Your Edtech Business Plan

    Spread the loveDo you have a business plan? It’s the one question you’re going to be asked a lot as you begin your edtech business. The reasons to write a ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Edtech Marketing Ideas to Implement Right Now

    Spread the loveEven if you do have the most exceptional edtech product or service in the world, you’ve still got to market it. Your sales and your success depend on ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    How Your Edtech Startup Can Make the Leap from Failure to Funded

    Spread the loveThe best ideas in edtech are often only ideas. They never become a reality because they lack the funding they need to get off the ground. Taking an ...

Digital Equity

  • Digital EquityDigital Leadership

    How Can You Assess the Tech Needs of Your Students Outside of School?

    Spread the loveToday, I received an email from the middle school principal in Los Angeles. She explained to me that the school that she ran was in one of the ...
  • Digital Equity

    It Is Time for the Edtech Industry to Stop Denying Its Equity and Race Problem

    Spread the loveThe EdTech industry is dominated by white employees, white leaders, and white entrepreneurs. If you doubt this statement, just attend an Edtech conference. Admittedly, educators and others don’t ...
  • Digital Equity

    How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

    Spread the loveThe cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. ...

EdTech Futures

  • EdTech FuturesOnline Learning & eLearning

    IT Trends To Watch As Higher Education Moves Into a New Decade

    Spread the loveEdtech couldn’t have hoped for a better launch into the new decade than the push the industry received from COVID-19. Even the most tech-resistant institutions and individuals have ...
  • EdTech Futures

    4 Emerging EdTech Trends in 2021

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has not only changed education as we know it, but it has forced education technology (EdTech) to up its game. EdTech has been crucial since the start of this ...
  • Adult EducationEdTech & InnovationEdTech FuturesEducation LeadershipEducational LeadershipHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechThe Future of Education

    Education Technology and the Future of Higher Ed Leadership

    Spread the loveEducation Technology (EdTech) has had a more significant impact on education than anyone expected. Now its effects are reaching into the field of higher education. In this article, ...
  • EdTech Futures

    Top Edtech Trends for 2021

    Spread the loveAre you ready to look ahead? Schools will soon be reflecting on what’s been working this year and what’s not. They’ll also begin thinking about their budgets for ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Futures

    In the Wake of Teacher Shortages, Schools are Turning to Virtual Teachers

    Spread the loveTeaching was once a greatly respected position, and today, morally it still seems to be of high value to many Americans. Institutionally, however, teaching no longer seems to ...

About Us

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

We started this journey back in June 2016, and we plan to continue it for many more years to come. I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact Us

The Tech Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
advocatefored@gmail.com

Follow us

Copyright © 2021 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.