Marin CyberSafe News: Digital Safety 101 - A Back-to School Guide

In This Issue

• Passwords Matter - Make Them Strong!
• Protect Devices at Home and School
• Think Before You Click
• Know the Red Flags of Online Scams
• Use Wi-Fi Safely
• Stay Involved and Aware
• Start the Conversation

From the desk of Jason Balderama, CISO, County of Marin

As the school year kicks off, students are logging into devices, accessing online learning platforms, and communicating digitally more than ever. Whether you're a parent, guardian, or student, practicing good cybersecurity habits is essential to staying safe and secure.

Let's review some practical tips to keep your family protected.

Passwords Matter - Make Them Strong!

• Use long, complex passwords with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. If you need to remember a password yourself, use a passphrase of four to seven random words.
• Don’t reuse the same password across school, social media, and email accounts.
• Don’t share login info with friends, even best friends.
• Consider using a password manager to keep everything secure and organized.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on school and email accounts.

Protect Devices at Home and School

• Always lock phones, tablets, and laptops with a passcode or biometrics.
• Make sure all devices have the latest software and security updates.
• Use a trusted antivirus program and turn on automatic updates.
• Back up important schoolwork regularly to cloud storage and/or an external drive.

Think Before You Click

• Teach kids to be cautious with emails, especially if they ask for login info or personal details.
• Don’t click links or download attachments from unknown senders.
• If something looks “off,” it probably is. Report suspicious emails to the school's IT department.

Know the Red Flags of Online Scams

Be on alert for:

• “Too good to be true” back-to-school deals or giveaways.
• Emails pretending to be from your school, asking for payment, login, or personal info.
• Tech support scams - no IT team should ever ask for passwords or remote access via pop-ups.

Use Wi-Fi Safely

At home, make sure your Wi-Fi is password protected and encrypted.

• Avoid logging into school or personal accounts on public Wi-Fi.
• Students should avoid using shared devices at libraries or cafes for sensitive school work.

Stay Involved and Aware

• Review your child’s apps and browser extensions regularly.
• Discuss online privacy settings on school platforms and social media.
• Set family rules around screen time and safe online behavior.

Start the Conversation

• Encourage kids to talk to you if something online feels wrong or uncomfortable.
• Remind them that nothing online is truly private, even in “private messages.”

• Build a habit of checking in weekly about school technology use and digital experiences.

   

Disclaimer

The information provided in Marin CyberSafe News is intended to increase people’s awareness of cybersecurity and to help them behave in a more secure manner. Links in this newsletter are provided because they have information that may be useful. The County of Marin does not warrant the accuracy of any information contained in the links and neither endorses nor intends to promote the advertising of the resources listed herein. The opinions and statements contained in such resources are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions of County of Marin.

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