Should schools use internet filters?

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Most schools — some estimate 99% — use an internet filter. It’s a mainstream practice, as educators acknowledge the software’s utility in keeping students safe online. 

However, not all internet filters are made equal. We all know that technology is rapidly changing, but many are less aware of how many new and sophisticated filtering solutions have entered the market recently. 

Read on as we cover why your school should use not just any internet filter, but one that ensures student protection against online harmful behavior, strengthens your cyber security posture, and seamlessly keeps you up to date with stringent compliance requirements. 

Why schools adopt internet filters

Both harmful online behavior and cyberattacks targeted at K-12 schools are on the rise. It’s to mitigate both, and ensure regulatory compliance in the process, that schools adopt a web filter. 

Regarding harmful online behavior, research commissioned by UK Feminista and the National Education Union (NEU) found that approximately 40% of secondary teachers are aware that students have been sent or shown pornography in school. Similarly, students are increasingly trying to access social media and other non-education-related websites during school hours. This coincides with a rise in cyberbullying — one quarter of American teenagers have experienced cyberbullying in just the past 30 days. 

Regarding cyberattacks, K-12 schools experienced a 105% increase in ransomware attacks in the past year. Malicious actors commonly target students and staff, posing as trustworthy entities, through phishing emails that aim to steal sensitive information or distribute malware. In fact, human error — such as clicking on malicious links or attachments — is the number one cause of cyber breaches in the education sector. 

Both harmful online behavior and a school’s cybersecurity extend to regulatory compliance implications. The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), in particular, requires schools to adopt an internet safety policy that accounts for the following — per the FCC’s website:

  • The safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications.
  • Unauthorized access, including so-called “hacking,” and other unlawful activities by minors online.
  • Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors.
  • Measures restricting minors’ access to materials harmful to them.

While the vast majority of schools adopt an internet filtering solution of some form, many are now turning to software that enables streamlined CIPA compliance. This software provides schools with improved real-time visibility into potentially harmful online behavior, which could harm students or others, or potentially expose the school to a cyberattack.

How web filters mitigate harmful online behavior, cyberthreats, and regulatory risks

Here are five features next-generation internet filtering software provides to help IT professionals mitigate harmful online behavior, strengthen their security posture, and ensure compliance with evolving regulations.

1. Blocklists and allowlists: These features enable schools to block access to websites categorized under predefined categories known to contain harmful or inappropriate content. Allowlists permit access only to websites that have been verified as safe, supporting educational objectives while keeping students protected from potential online threats.

2. Customizable policies: With ManagedMethods’ Content Filter, the internet filtering system can be tailored to fit the needs of individual schools or districts through easy integration with Google Admin consoles. Policies can be applied across different organizational units (OUs), allowing for nuanced control that can vary between different grades, classes, or user groups within the same domain.

3. AI-driven alerts: By employing artificial intelligence (AI), web content filtering solutions can detect and alert IT staff about online behaviors that indicate risks such as cyberbullying, self-harm, or other unsafe activities. These AI-enabled detections are integrated at the browser level, making the system capable of monitoring activities in near real-time and providing immediate notifications.

4. Centralized real-time monitoring: This feature allows for continuous, real-time oversight of all users’ online activities. It ensures that any inappropriate or harmful content is quickly identified, with the ability to view and manage these incidents centrally from the platform. 

5. CIPA reporting, analytics, and auditing: Web content filtering solutions offer tools to ensure compliance with CIPA, providing schools with the necessary reporting and analytics capabilities. It tracks and reports on all filtered content, ensuring that schools can document their adherence to CIPA requirements and conduct thorough audits. 

Ensure safety and compliance with Content Filter by ManagedMethods 

Content Filter by Managed Methods is a next-generation school web filter solution that helps you to seamlessly ensure that your students are protected online while aligning your district with changing regulatory requirements. Moreover, while cyberattacks are increasingly focused on the K-12 education sector, ManagedMethods provides you with the real-time visibility, filtering, and AI-driven insights to strengthen your security posture. 

Content Filter is a cloud-based web filtering platform tailored for K-12 technology teams and their districts. This platform operates entirely in the cloud, eliminating the need for any hardware installations or on-site setup. It can be activated within minutes, requires no specialized training, and is designed to be seamlessly integrated without affecting end users.

To that point, here is what Manny Sanchez, the Director of Technology Azusa Unified School District, says: “If you’re not sure which direction you want to go and you just want to give Content Filter a try, the POC has little to no impact in terms of getting it set up and running it in your environment. The amount of visibility you’ll get from Content Filter is amazing. I encourage everyone to try it out. It’s something that we’re required to have, so having something in place that works well and is easy to manage is a huge plus.”

With Content FIlter, you can gain:

  • Continuous monitoring, visibility, and control across users’ online browsing keeps data secure, students safe, and your district CIPA compliant.
  • A cloud-based internet filtering software that doesn’t require an appliance to set up and get started.
  • Granular YouTube controls by keywords, channels, and videos in YouTube and embedded in other areas, such as Google apps like Docs, Forms, Slides, etc
  • Out-of-box support for over 30 website categories, plus import existing block and allow lists via .csv.
  • And more!