VCAL Digital Thumbprint

VCAL DIGITAL THUMBPPRINT WORKSHOPS 

We recently welcomed Digital Thumbprint to deliver their workshops to our VCAL Year 11 students. Our facilitator Dom delivered a program which was fun and engaging. The interactive workshops were designed to empower and inform students about the advantages of having a positive online presence and armed them with the vital information they need to stay safe online.

The first part on the program focused on Cyber security. Cybercrime is costing the Australian economy up to 4.5 billion dollars annually. Hacking is a serious problem, especially on “free” WiFi.  We learnt that one in four social media accounts get hacked. How do you know if you have been hacked? The most obvious way is you are locked out of your account or money goes missing. You must report hacking immediately and change all your passwords.  Dom outlined the rules for creating a strong password:

• Use an unusual combination that you can remember ( e.g. dialogue from your favourite movie)
• The longer the password the better
• Use a mixture of symbols, numbers, upper and lower case letters
• Test the strength of your password on the website https://howsecureismypassword.net/

The second part of the program focused on Digital identity. Students were encouraged to always think before posting or sharing personal information online. Nowadays everyone can google, including employers checking social media channels to screen potential new employees and their suitability for a job. That Facebook photo of you draped across a bar late at night, showing how much of a good time you were having, could be why your latest job application gets no further than the bin. Students were also encouraged to refrain from having “rants” on social media. Dom gave many practical examples of online postings that had a negative impact. In one instance, an irritated employee posted on Facebook his feelings for his employer and the boredom he had for his job, “OMG I hate my Boss. He is such a tool always making me come early and other BS like that! Loser!” Unfortunately for him, he had forgotten that he had included his employer as “a Facebook friend”. His employer’s response was swift as was his job loss. “That other BS I make you do is your job and your starting time was 8am… let me solve your problem. Don’t bother coming back in – you’re fired!”

Our school has proudly joined the Digital Thumbprint program in its commitment to ensure our students are savvy, responsible and proactive members of Australia’s online community. Overall, the program proved to be a highly beneficial experience for students and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Ms Vicki Handris

VCAL Coordinator