Enhancing School Safety with Cloud Monitor: A Powerful Cyber Safety Protection Tool

As the back-to-school season approaches, K-12 tech leaders are confronted with a myriad of cybersecurity and safety challenges. The transition into the 2024-2025 school year brings heightened concerns about student safety, particularly in the digital realm. To address these pressing issues, we recently hosted a webinar featuring Samuel Hoch, the Technology Director at Catoosa Public Schools, and Robert Batson, the Technology Director at Tahlequah Public Schools.

In this engaging session, Samuel and Robert shared their best practices and proactive strategies for tackling cybersecurity and safety concerns in the upcoming school year. Among the critical topics discussed were self-harm, suicide, and online predation—serious risks that threaten student safety. For those who missed it, you can watch the full webinar recording here.

The Moral and Legal Obligation of Schools

Schools have both a moral and legal obligation to address the risks associated with self-harm, suicide, and online predation. Unfortunately, educators and school staff often find themselves in the challenging position of identifying and responding to these dangers. However, there is hope. By leveraging solutions like Cloud Monitor, schools can adopt a proactive stance in safeguarding their students from these serious threats.

Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention

“Our end goal is teaching students and keeping them safe.”
– Samuel Hoch, Technology Director at Catoosa Public Schools

Self-harm and suicide among students are alarming trends that demand immediate attention. According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens aged 14-18. Schools play a pivotal role in addressing these risks, and the need for proactive prevention strategies has never been more critical.

Cloud-based solutions like Cloud Monitor provide a powerful means to detect early warning signs of self-harm or suicidal ideation. By scanning Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 domains for risky behavior, Cloud Monitor automatically identifies signs that a student may be in distress.

Samuel Hoch shared a poignant story during the webinar:

“Late one evening, I received an email notification from Cloud Monitor about a student whose online behavior indicated they were considering moving to the next level of harming themselves. Concerned for their safety, I immediately contacted our school counselor, SRO, principal, and assistant principal. This one instance justified the cost of Cloud Monitor, hands down. Saving that student was 100 percent worth it.”
– Samuel Hoch, Technology Director at Catoosa Public Schools

With Cloud Monitor’s real-time student safety alerts, educators can intervene promptly and potentially save lives. This technology empowers schools to identify at-risk students and take immediate action to prevent tragedies before they occur.

Online Predation: A Growing Concern

Online predation in schools is more prevalent than many realize. An estimated 500,000 predators are active online daily, using the internet to communicate, groom, and manipulate children. One of the most common and dangerous tactics employed by predators is sextortion—where a malicious adult threatens to expose a young person’s personal information unless they provide sexual images or agree to meet in person.

During his free trial of Cloud Monitor, Robert Batson experienced firsthand how the tool can protect students from predation:

“Our team was alerted to an email exchange between a foster student and an online predator in another state. Without Cloud Monitor scanning our Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 domains for keywords, phrases, and images, we would have had no idea this was happening.”
– Robert Batson, Technology Director at Tahlequah Public Schools

Cloud Monitor’s advanced scanning capabilities help districts identify suspicious online behavior early, allowing schools to take immediate action. By seamlessly integrating into Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cloud domains, Cloud Monitor can alert administrators to threats that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Robert’s experience with Cloud Monitor solidified its value for him: “The free trial of Cloud Monitor convinced us to buy the product. I highly recommend that everyone give it a try.”

Protecting Student Safety with Cloud Monitor

By proactively monitoring your district’s cloud domain, Cloud Monitor enables rapid responses to risks such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, and online predation before it’s too late. Through real-time email notifications, Cloud Monitor provides detailed information about incidents, including document ownership, contributors, text history, sharing details, and more. This allows educators to make informed decisions, effectively intervene, and promptly alert district administrators when necessary.

One of the standout features of Cloud Monitor is its customizable alert system. Robert explains, “A great feature of Cloud Monitor is the ability to notify school administrators and counselors. I’ve customized it to send any student safety warnings directly to the administration and counselors while I focus on detecting data leaks.”

With Cloud Monitor’s customizable alerts, schools can respond to safety threats while protecting student privacy. By discreetly notifying the appropriate personnel, schools can intervene without unnecessarily exposing a student’s mental health or personal details, ensuring they receive the help they need in a safe and respectful manner.

Conclusion

As we prepare for the new school year, it is crucial for K-12 institutions to prioritize student safety in the digital landscape. By leveraging tools like Cloud Monitor, schools can take proactive measures to protect their students from the threats of self-harm, suicide, and online predation.

Learn more about how ManagedMethods can help you create a safe learning environment, and check out our back-to-school technology guide today.

In an era where technology plays an integral role in education, ensuring the safety of our students must remain a top priority. Together, we can create a secure and supportive environment for all learners.