New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a draft handbook for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to assist and guide students and teachers on digital hygiene, i.e, to stay safe in cyberspace.
Some of the suggestions in UGC's draft handbook on Digital Hygiene are secured internet browsing, closing webcam and computer audio when not in use, not downloading content while using public wifi and using a password manager.
The draft handbook also explains the "Redefined behaviour protocols for students and objectives of teachers in virtual classes", which comes against the backdrop of the transition to online learning, which was adopted during the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
The UGC draft revealed that education requires tech-assisted learning and teaching solutions, and fast-paced innovations in today's emerging era of digitalization.
Students and teachers have the accessibility to smartphone devices and a variety of remote e-learning and evolution options. The virtual classrooms have brought a distinctive outlook on the teaching-learning process as education is moving ahead with digital learning, the UGC draft stated.
The draft said that there are innumerable factors of online teaching that might have an adverse impact to the entire school community. However, the teachers should be more concerned about attacks that occur during virtual classroom lectures while the discussion is in progress.
Early to this, UGC Chairman spoke at length about the changing roles of teachers and universities with the advent of online education.
The commission highlighted that it is abundantly clear that today's world is associated with Big Data where "Right to be Forgotten" or "Right to be Erased" is not that easy because an individual's identity is disclosed privately as well as on the public platforms too.
The UGC draft concluded by mentioning that metadata plays a crucial role due to which digital footprints are always left behind in one form or another to find the digital trail towards an individual.
Likes and comments on social media posts, the contents watched by an individual, web cookies on the websites visited, etc., can make up an individual's digital footprints, the UGC draft said.
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UGC Draft Handbook Recommendations
Following are the recommendations made by the UGC handbook:
- Keep social media profiles' privacy settings as strict as possible, especially for the public and others.
- Remember that anything shared online will remain in cyberspace and can be misused anytime
- Not to download books and apps from unreliable resources
- Not to share any financial information
- Install a reliable anti-virus software
- Use a fire wall
- Clear browsing history and browser cache every time to prevent the use of old forms
- Protect personal information and help applications run better
- Stay alert and away from fake job opportunities
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UGC Cyber Security Course
Considering the requirement, the UGC has prepared a draft syllabus for a cybersecurity course for the undergraduate and postgraduate students.
According to a senior official from the commission, the two documents will be shortly released in the public domain to seek feedback from stakeholders. The HEIs must designate a faculty member as Cyber Security Officer and also strive for ISO certification. The education institutions should primarily focus on having cyber security protocols in place.
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