UAE authorities are urging students, families and schools to practise strong digital discipline during remote learning by using official platforms, avoiding suspicious links and promoting responsible online behaviour to ensure cybersecurity and data protection.
Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cyber Security Council has highlighted the importance of maintaining strong digital discipline among students, families and educational institutions during the ongoing period of remote learning. Officials emphasised that distance education remains a precautionary step designed to ensure uninterrupted academic progress, and that the focus should be on awareness, responsibility and cooperation rather than fear.
Dr Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, underscored that the current situation requires a unified effort between schools, parents and students to ensure a safe and secure online learning environment. He stressed the importance of relying only on trusted and official sources of information, while avoiding misinformation or unreliable digital platforms that could compromise security.
“The situation does not call for concern, but for greater digital awareness and discipline,” he said, encouraging students to follow best practices such as using approved educational platforms, avoiding suspicious links or unfamiliar applications, regularly updating passwords and activating two-factor authentication whenever possible.
According to Emarat Al Youm, Al Kuwaiti highlighted several cyber risks that could potentially affect educational institutions and learners. These include phishing attempts through fake messages posing as schools, hacking incidents due to weak passwords, and the use of unofficial platforms that operate outside recognised educational systems.
Families were also advised to remain cautious about fraudulent communications that claim to be from schools or universities, especially those requesting sensitive personal information or directing recipients to suspicious websites. Authorities warned that such scams may attempt to trick users into downloading harmful applications that could compromise personal data or devices.
Students were cautioned about multiple online risks, including misleading links, fake virtual classrooms, communication attempts from strangers, incidents of cyberbullying and the dangers of sharing personal details or academic content without proper awareness. Experts stressed that vigilance and responsible digital behaviour are key to avoiding such threats.
The Cyber Security Council recommended that schools consistently use clearly identified official platforms and distribute links only through approved communication channels. Institutions were also encouraged to regularly review inactive accounts, monitor access permissions and report any suspicious activities immediately to ensure data safety.
Students were further reminded not to share their passwords with others and to activate cameras or microphones only when participating in official classes or authorised learning sessions. They were also urged to promptly report any suspicious links, unusual requests or inappropriate online behaviour.
In addition, Al Kuwaiti warned against sharing misleading or unrelated online content, including material connected to ongoing global conflicts, noting that cyber threats may involve disinformation campaigns targeting young individuals or attempting to influence social values.
He concluded by urging students to demonstrate responsible digital conduct, respect privacy and maintain behaviour that reflects the UAE’s social values and principles while engaging in online education.
Source : Gulf News
