Author: Alyssa Lofggren

In many cases, Christian ministries receive bad advice. They are sometimes told that their IT guy knows how to purchase a single copy of a program, but install it ministry-wide, thereby saving thousands of dollars. However, purchasing one copy of a software license does not give the ministry the legal right to install that software on multiple devices. 

It can be helpful to think of software as a twenty-dollar bill. If you have a bill, you can spend it on anything you like; but you may not photocopy it and spend it over and over! That, of course, would be counterfeiting.

If you own a software license for a single device, you can install it on any device you wish; but you cannot install it on multiple devices. If you want the software on multiple devices, you need a license that specifically allows that.

At this point, private trade organizations like the Business Software Alliance (BSA) use the courts to strictly enforce software licensing and to crack down on software piracy. If a ministry is audited by the BSA, fines are likely to range in the tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention any legal fees that may be associated with the action.

In order to protect your ministry, the Christian Law Association recommends the adoption of this software policy:

[Ministry Name] purchases and licenses the use of various computer software for ministry purposes and does not own the copyright to this software or its related documentation. Unless authorized by the software developer, [Ministry Name] does not have the right to reproduce such software for use on more than one device. Staff members may use software only on local area networks or on multiple devices according to the software license agreement. [Ministry Name] prohibits the illegal duplication of software and its related documentation. Staff members are not permitted to install any program, business or personal, onto ministry equipment without prior ministry approval.

Christian school administrators understandably have concerns about the safety of their students when they use the school computers, but the first step in ensuring this safety is to secure the school’s own computer systems. During the summer break is a good time to review school systems and make any needed changes. As these changes are being made, attention should be given to keeping students safe online. The Christian Law Association encourages Christian schools to consider these important protocols.

1. Identify computers that have sensitive information and make sure they are not connected to the Internet. There are, to be sure, certain advantages to having computers networked together; but these very advantages also increase the potential for security breaches. CLA recommends that ministries maintain student record information on an isolated network that is not connected to the Internet. Academic, disciplinary, and financial information about students should be offline.

2. Hire an outside systems expert to design or audit the ministry’s computer security. In today’s society, many teens have profound computer knowledge that is impressive. However, when a teen who “knows a lot about computers” volunteers to set up the Christian school’s network free of charge, this is one offer that you must refuse! Remember, the person who designs the computer system knows dozens of ways to get into the system’s back doors. Allowing a student to design—and thereby have access to—such a system is not wise!

3. Make sure your computer system is constantly updated. A qualified IT professional can help make sure that your system has the latest security releases and technology upgrades. Because of the constantly changing nature of the computer world, systems that were safe in the past may be unsafe now.

4. Require students to register online activities with the school. CLA recommends that schools require all students to register any Internet blog or website they create. Because most online activity is done under a screen name, the administration may not be able to verify the author’s identity unless accounts are registered.

Have a policy for student websites. The following policy, based on our case experience, is recommended by CLA:

5. Any student who decides to operate a personal online website or contributes to a blog must register the website/blog with the school staff. (Ex.: facebook.com, tumblr.com, twitter.com, etc.) The website must be registered immediately upon its creation. Any student who creates a website or blog prior to attending the school must register the website/blog as soon as he/she is accepted as a student. All website/blog content will be monitored on a regular basis. Any student, including homeschooled students, found with an unregistered website/blog or website/blog material that is deemed inappropriate to the purpose and mission of the school will be in direct disobedience to this ruling and will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including immediate ineligibility to attend the school.

6. Educate parents on the dangers of the Internet. While it is true that many parents are comfortable with modern technology, we have found that many parents are simply not aware of some of the dangers that their children are facing. As an educational institution, it is appropriate to provide information to parents, giving them tools that can keep their children as safe as possible.

One crucial aspect of this education is to stress that children are never to set up meetings, even group meetings, with people they have only met online! 

Parents have a duty to protect their children, and this is never more needful than during the summer months when children and teens are out of school and often spend hours alone at home while parents are at work. Although there is no fail-safe method, CLA recommends that parents carefully consider these tips:

1. Children should use computers only in common areas of the home where they can be monitored—never behind closed doors in their bedrooms. It is extremely unwise to allow children and teenagers unmonitored computer access when they are home alone.

2. Talk with your child often about how to remain safe on the Internet. Let your child know you regularly check computer history as well as email and chat messages.

3. Require your child to use nicknames on social media and networking sites and never to share identifying information about themselves or the family in social networking profiles. Your child should be told to keep passwords secret from everyone but you.

4. Remind your child that millions of people can potentially see anything they post online and these messages and photos will never go away. Teach your child to think before posting.

5. Remind your child of the dangers associated with arranging an in-person meeting with anyone they have met only in cyberspace.

6. Monitor any social networking sites your child uses. Make sure your child “friends” you and makes their personal settings “private.”

7. Watch for signs of cyberbullying and tell your child to report such activity to you immediately, whether it involves them or a friend. Encourage them to help others who are being subjected to cyberbullying by alerting an adult.

8. Make sure to retain all evidence of cyberbullying, including emails and text messages.

The Internet is a powerful tool, much like a loaded gun. If parents allow their children to go online, they must make certain that careful safety guidelines are in place. It takes only one incident for tragedy to result.

The power of social networking is hard to imagine. Facebook, currently the largest online social network in the world, has roughly three billion active users per month. Social media can be dangerous enough for adults, but children are particularly susceptible to being harmed. While no set of guidelines can provide complete security, CLA recommends these guidelines for students.

  1. Do not allow a child under the age of 13 to create a Facebook account. The social media giant prohibits anyone under the age of 13 to create an account. If a person under the age of 13 creates an account, it will likely result in Facebook terminating the account.

2. If your teenager does not personally know someone who is requesting to be “friends,” they should not accept the request. This policy also applies to adults.

3. Create the strongest password possible to protect your account from being hacked. If you have any suspicion that your account may be hacked, it is best to change your password. If your account is hacked, it is important to immediately report this to Facebook. 

4. Only post photos or ideas that you want to make public. Never post anything personal or embarrassing, because it could affect your testimony or work situation. Recently, a woman was fired after calling in sick then posting something that made it apparent she wasn’t ill.

5. Manage your privacy settings. The default choice makes all of your information, photos, and posts available to anyone who wishes to look at it. It is very wise to set your profile to “private.” By adjusting privacy settings, most of your content is not accessible by people who are not your friends.

6. Be careful when responding to friends or loved ones who request any type of monetary help on Facebook. Be sure to verify in person or by calling that the message is legitimate and their account was not hacked or cloned.

7. Only post broad information about your geographical location. Listing a state or very large city is fine, but never post an address or the name of a small town. This could jeopardize your personal safety. Additionally, never post that you are home alone. This is especially true for teenagers. Criminals and child predators could use this information to their advantage. 

8. Block anyone who sends you inappropriate messages or wall posts. If anyone posts content that is suggestive, pornographic, or threatening in any way, report them to Facebook.

9. You should never post your personal address, email, telephone number or any other personal contact information on your profile. 

10. Report to Facebook anything else that seems suspicious.