When IT Security Advice Goes Overboard

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In IT circles, bad security advice abounds. Just ask the administrators at Pennsylvania's Lower Merion School District who somehow became convinced that it would be a good idea to use Webcams to keep tabs on students. The district says it uses the software only to track potentially stolen devices. A student is suing the district, alleging that school officials used it to spy on pupils such as himself.

Whatever the administrators' motives, everyone in my neighborhood is up in arms about violations of our children's privacy. (Me, I'm more worried that my two high school-aged kids spend too much time on taxpayer-funded Apple (AAPL) Macbooks, updating Facebook profiles and watching video on YouTube (GOOG), rather than doing homework.)