Students warned over online security

With young people targeted for data theft 35 times more often than adults, students are being advised to ensure their mobile and desktop devices are secure both at school and at home as they enter a new academic year.

Lysa Myers of internet security firm ESET Ireland said young people were an easy target both for digital and physical theft. She said even if students were using school libraries or labs, they still needed to take steps to make their data safer.

“Younger people may feel that their information is of lesser value than more established adults, because they may have smaller bank accounts or less-juicy data, and may not take security as seriously,” said Ms Myers. “Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how young you are — your data and identity are valuable to cybercriminals, and correcting the problems caused by loss and theft is a pain, no matter your age. Protecting your data now will help you avoid those headaches.”