As UAE students prepare for the new academic year, the UAE Government Cyber Security Council is urging children and families to make digital security part of their back-to-school preparations.
The council has warned that one in 50 children is exposed to digital identity theft, highlighting the risks associated with the growing use of online learning platforms, smartphones and other connected devices.
The warning comes as students prepare to return to classrooms and resume using school accounts, educational applications and digital services.
Check links before clicking
Students have been advised to treat unexpected messages and links with caution and verify who sent them before opening anything.
Phishing attempts can be designed to trick users into revealing passwords or other personal information, making caution particularly important for children who may be less familiar with common online scams.
The council also recommends using strong, unique passwords for school and educational accounts and switching on two-step verification wherever it is available.
Two-step verification can provide an additional layer of protection if a password is exposed or stolen.
A digital check-up before school
The council is also encouraging students to carry out a basic digital security check before the academic year begins.
That includes installing available software and security updates, removing applications that are no longer needed and checking which permissions installed apps have been granted.
Families should also ensure that security software and other applications are downloaded through official, trusted sources.
Personal information should not be shared unnecessarily, while privacy settings on social media, educational platforms and other digital services should be reviewed regularly.
Protect phones, tablets and laptops
Students are also being urged to activate screen locks on devices used for school.
A password, PIN or other screen-lock method can provide an important barrier if a smartphone, tablet or laptop is misplaced or stolen.
For parents, the advice comes at a time when children’s school routines increasingly extend beyond the classroom. Assignments, communication with teachers, educational resources and school services can all involve accounts containing personal information.
The council’s recommendations are largely simple measures that can be completed before the school year begins, but they can help reduce the risk of unauthorized access and the exposure of children’s data.
As UAE families prepare for another academic year, cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important part of the back-to-school checklist — alongside books, uniforms, devices and school supplies.
