The goal of many schools that are spending thousands of dollars in networking equipment is to connect to the vast array of resources provided through the Internet. When a school connects to the Internet, it is not a one-way steet and the traffic that goes in and out of the school network is not always from trusted sources. Therefore, special equipment has been developed to help networks judge what computers and networks on the internet should be trusted and allowed to talk with the schools network. These devices are called routers and firewalls. Routers are devices that route Internet traffic to and from the Internet or other networks.
Firewalls are devices that allow network administrators to limit traffic that it deems harmful.
By instituting a properly configured and managed firewall on a school network that is connected to the Internet, schools are able to guard against unwarranted attacks on the integrity of its data, users and systems. Due to the complexity and importance of installing and configuring firewalls, this task is usually left to network administrators or contracted entitities. In this clip, the student takes advantage of the school password security flaw in which they write down their user password in an insecure area. The student enters the schools computer from home to change his grades using the school account. This fictitious example is not far from the truth and provides an example of how the school network is only as secure as the passwords of its users.