Personal Security and Computing

While we have made every effort to make the Family Access system as secure as possible for district families, there are still some items that you should consider when using the system.

• Change your password frequently (and keep it in your wallet or purse... not posted on your computer). The button to change your password is located in the upper right corner of the screen. The minute someone gains access to your username and password they have access to your information.
• Avoid accessing the system from a public computer. If you have no other choice, then be sure you click the "Logout" button before you quit. This is the only way the system knows for sure to close the session and require login the next time a page is requested from the server. The server will force a disconnect after a certain period of inactivity and force you to re-login, but a window of time still exists in which an unauthorized user could gain access to your family information.

Other Items of Interest

The items above pertain specifically to your use of the Family Access system. The following links contain some advice regarding security and computing in general. Please note that these items are provided for informational purposes only and the views expressed in the following links are not neccessarily those of Bemidji Area Schools. Thanks to those who have contributed to this list. If you have other suggested links feel free to send them to familyaccess@bemidji.k12.mn.us.

General

• Before You Connect A New Computer to the Internet
• Home Computer Security
• Home Network Security
• Bruce Schneier Crypto-gram Newsletter Article
  Bruce Schneier is a well known security expert and commentator.
  Other areas of his site are worth checking out.
• Installing Windows Service Pack 2
• Microsoft Spyware Article

Browser Related

• Browser Security
• PC World article regarding Internet Explorer
• Opera
• Firefox

Spyware Removal

• Ad-Aware
• Spybot Search & Destroy