In order to keep students without access to the internet from falling behind, students will be able to take laptops home. But some are questioning what that means for their cyber security.
It's why several school districts have moved to one to one technology. In middle Tennessee, Franklin City Schools, Maury County Schools along with several private schools have given each of their students take home laptops to further their education.
“What was your initial reaction? 'Oh my no they aren’t,'” Dr. Charter Smith laughed.
Smith is a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, he also helped install the internet at Fort Campbell in the 90s. He's an expert in cyber security as well as an advocate for online teaching, despite his initial reaction to one-to-one programs.
“It gives us physical and cyber security issues to be honest but it also causes us concern as we’re bringing this issue to the table like its an option, it’s not an option,” Smith said.
The number of students with take home devices will only go up so parents need to know this, while school districts may have firewalls and protection for students in place while on the district's wi-fi those barriers may disappear once connected to another wi-fi system. Most parents should assume their kids are more tech savvy than they are.
“Do you think kids can find a way to get around having someone oversee what they’re doing online? 'In a second,'” Smith replied. “The bottom line is for every prevention, there’s a work around and its already been devised.”
