FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Permitting students access to emails with attachments can pose a potential danger to a school's network due to what reason?

1. Spam messages

2. Phishing attempts

3. Viruses

4. Data privacy concerns

The correct answer is: Viruses

Allowing students access to emails with attachments can be particularly risky because attachments can serve as a vector for viruses and other malicious software. When students open these attachments, they may inadvertently download harmful programs that can compromise the school’s network security. Emails can contain various forms of malware, including viruses that can replicate themselves and spread to other devices on the network, leading to extensive damage, data loss, and service disruptions. These infections can also open backdoors for unauthorized access, allowing cybercriminals to steal sensitive information or hijack the network. While spam messages, phishing attempts, and data privacy concerns are certainly valid issues in the context of email communication, the direct threat posed by malicious attachments makes the concern regarding viruses particularly acute in a school environment where young users may not be as adept at identifying these risks.