How to protect students taking online classes

Cybercrime or computer-oriented crime involves a computer and a network as defined by Wikipedia. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. Cybercrime may threaten a person, company, or a nation’s security and financial health.

In the recent report of CNN Philippines, the Department of Justice’s

Office of Cybercrime has drawn up guidelines to protect from abuse and harmful contents children who use video conferencing services for online classes amid the security risks of using these digital platforms.

The guidelines aim to protect students who are taking online classes. First, never share meeting room credentials, both the ID and password, publicly.

Second, follow these meeting settings: a) accept participants’ request to join meeting individually; b) provide standard naming instructions for participants (ex. surname, first name, middle initial); c) require a password from participants; d) mute participants upon entry; e) start the classes with the student’s video off; and f) disable screen share for participants who are not assigned in the virtual meeting room as hosts.

Based on the advisory, DOJ-Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) officerin-charge Charito Zamora said that while video conferencing services open doors to new opportunities that make access to education easy, the application of information and communication technology in the conduct of online classes can cause many security risks.

Zamora further identified these security risks as loss of confidentiality, availability, and integrity of computer data, as well as exposure of students to abusive strangers and harmful online content.

The participant who encounters or obtains knowledge of any facts or circumstances of incidents of harassment, or abuse, or commits harm against another is encouraged to report it to law enforcement agencies as soon as possible, Zamora said.

The public is requested incidents during online to report classes to the Philippine National Police at acg@acg.pnp.gov.ph or their Facebook account www.facebook. com/anticybercrimegroup or the National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division at ccd@nbi.gov. ph or the DOJ’s Office of Cybercrime at cybercrime@doj.gov.ph or their Facebook account www.facebook.com/ OfficeofCybercrimePH.

Any person found guilty for the violation of R. A. 10175 or known as the Cybercrime Act, is punishable according to the extent of the crime committed.