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Back to School, Safer Tech: 7 Quick Tips to Start the Year Right

Back to School, Safer Tech: 7 Quick Tips to Start the Year Right
A new school year means new routines, new goals—and a great time to refresh your approach to tech safety. Whether you're in education, healthcare, or any office that runs on a school-year rhythm, these best practices will help keep your team, devices, and data secure.

1. Update Everything
Before school starts, update all devices—laptops, tablets, apps, and antivirus software.
Why it matters: Outdated systems are easy targets for malware and breaches.

2. Use Strong Passwords and MFA
Require strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible.
Why it matters: Most data breaches start with weak or reused passwords. MFA adds critical protection.

3. Train Against Phishing
Help staff and students recognize phishing emails, fake login pages, and social engineering attempts.
Why it matters: Phishing attacks increase at the start of the school year. One wrong click can lead to a major issue.

4. Clean Up Devices and Apps
Audit school- or office-issued devices and remove any outdated or unused software.
Why it matters: Unused apps can create unnecessary vulnerabilities.

5. Segment Your Network
Keep student, staff, admin, and guest devices on separate Wi-Fi networks.
Why it matters: Network segmentation helps contain threats and prevents them from spreading.

6. Promote Home Tech Safety
Encourage staff and families to use strong Wi-Fi passwords, secure browsers, and parental controls.
Why it matters: Offsite devices are still part of your ecosystem—and need protection too.

7. Have an Incident Response Plan
Make sure your organization has a clear, tested response plan for cyber incidents—and that your backups are working.
Why it matters: If something goes wrong, fast, confident action reduces damage and downtime.

Start the Year Secure
HiTech helps schools, clinics, and mid-sized businesses build stronger IT systems and smarter security practices. If your team needs help getting ready for the year ahead, we’re here to support you.

Let’s make this school year safe, productive, and cyber-resilient.