Keep confidential information private
In Module 2, Digital Citizen, you learned about PII, which stands for Personally Identifiable Information. PII is information that can identify a specific person. Keeping PII protected is a big deal. PII is used by cybercriminals for crimes like identity theft where they access other people’s credit cards, bank accounts, or even pretend to be that person. Not only should you be cautious about sharing your own PII, you should not ask for or store PII from the adults you’re working with.
If you have to have an adult enter a password on a site or device, ask the adult to do that for you. It’s polite to actually look away while someone is doing that. Never ask someone else for their password or enter it for them. If they can’t remember a password, it’s a teachable moment! Guide them through the process of retrieving password hints, using a “forgot password” link, or changing their password. But let them do it on their own. Don’t do it for them.
You should not write any of their PII down, especially passwords. That’s a good lesson to pass on to those you’re working with. They shouldn’t write their passwords down so they can easily be found. You can work with them on using a password application or a password-protected document that only they can access to record sensitive information. If you do accidentally find out sensitive information, don’t share it with others and never use it.
Don’t Share Your PII
Not only should you be careful about other’s PII, you should protect yours, as well. Don’t give out your personal contact information, such as your phone, personal email, or address. As a team, know whether you will share your school email address or an address created specifically for the Digital Ambassador team. The team should also have a phone number that people can contact you by–not your phone number! Teaching topics about texting can be difficult, because you’ll want to share your own phone number. There are ways to work around it, though.
Any handouts or other information you leave with an adult learner should have the preferred methods of contact listed on them. Consider creating templates for handouts, posters, presentations, email signatures, or other information that will be developed by and shared from the Digital Ambassadors as a team.