By: Jillian Matheny - Academic Technology Coordinator
“...Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men..” Matthew 4:19
When I was growing up, our small town would host a fishing derby for kids each summer. Early on a Saturday, families would crowd around the large pond at the local park to see who could catch the most fish, the largest fish, and the most unique fish. Surrounded by all our neighbors and friends, I would often sit and imagine how confused the poor fish might be by all the bait suddenly in the water. Despite all the choices, I desperately hoped it would be my hook that the fish would choose to eat from. Although I never caught the most fish, the largest fish or the most unique fish, this event nonetheless became one of my favorite summer activities. It didn’t take long for this fishing derby to become a family tradition, one that my family still continues to this day.
Did you know there is another type of “phishing” that is popular right now, and it is not the kind that will leave you with warm and fuzzy memories from your childhood? According to Google, (cyber) phishing is “the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers”. Phishing attempts account for a large majority of scams and data breaches. These attempts can look very sophisticated and can trick even the most competent people. These scammers have become a modern day “phishers of men”, going from place to place to seek vulnerable individuals and companies who fall victim to their malicious threats and traps (nets). They can carry malware and viruses that takedown whole infrastructures. Education and training can help prevent even the most basic computer user from being led astray. The Federal Trade Commission has released several key strategies and action steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from these attacks.
One of our goals at Madison Christian School is to provide students with the utmost safety when it comes to their online presence. We work to incorporate best practices and training to ensure the increased security for all students, teachers, and staff. We strive to keep our community safe and provide skills that can be used to combat the world of deception around us. As important as this goal is, our ULTIMATE goal is to train students to become “fishers of men”, great disciples of our Lord, that are prepared as Christian leaders to go out into the world around them and share the GREAT NEWS of the salvation message with the lost and vulnerable