In the News | Safeguarding School Bus Wi-Fi
This article was originally published in The Fast Mode on 11/11/24 by Charlie Sander.
Secure Your Bus Wi-Fi to Protect Student Data Privacy
School bus networks can help millions of students who don’t have stable internet at home by giving them an extra spot to access the network to do homework. Some districts have even noticed a reduction in destructive behavior on bus property as students are more engaged with their devices.
Other critical technologies, such as fleet maintenance, surveillance cameras, and student badges with radio-frequency identification enabled, can also be built on top of the network. Despite all the advantages, security and compliance remain issues on these networks. Let’s examine their weaknesses and how school districts can protect them.
The context of Wi-Fi networks on school buses
The encryption protocols used for bus Wi-Fi networks are the same as those used for any other Wi-Fi encryption and security, despite the widespread belief that a remote network inevitably means it is less stable. The majority will employ WPA2 AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), which is extensively used in contemporary Wi-Fi networks, including bus Wi-Fi systems, and offers a high level of security for wireless communication…
