The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a non-profit partnership of educational institutions, professional organizations, corporations and the Federal government, designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Along with other academic institutions, Tufts is participating in this month-long effort to raise awareness about cyber security and online safety by highlighting precautions you can take to help protect yourself online. Like locking your door, making these precautions a daily habit can lessen the risk of hackers and identity thieves stealing your personal information and generally assist you in staying safe online.
Among the precautions that University Information Technology is emphasizing are:- Protect yourself against viruses and worms by updating software. Keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date. Turn on automatic updates for your operating system, Apple, Microsoft or Linux. And even when those updates are happening, think before you click. Never open an attachment from an unknown source without first scanning it for viruses. Don’t click on links in email without being sure you know that you’re going to end up at a legitimate web site.
- Keep private information private. Placing your address, phone number, or other personal details online is like permanently writing it on the biggest billboard in the world. If you don’t want everyone to know it, don’t post it online. Once you’ve disclosed something you shouldn’t have, you can’t take it back.
- Keep your password safe. Use strong passwords, or, better yet, passphrases that are easy to remember but impossible to guess, and once you’ve created a strong password keep it safe. Never share your passwords with anyone, and never send your password in email, even if the request looks official. Change your password or pass phrase regularly. Sample pass phrases include:
An0ther1BytesTheDust$
AllUNeed=Luv*
- Use public computers cautiously. Be aware of your surroundings. Whether it’s someone looking over your shoulder, eavesdropping on an Internet café’s unsecure wireless connection, or hitting the “back” button on a web browser you just used, someone else could be reading what you just typed. Be careful what you do and where you do it.
- Information about Phishing
- Creating Strong Passwords
- Preventing Viruses Worms and Trojans
- Windows Updates for Personal Computers
- Scanning your Tufts Computer for Viruses
For more information, visit Stay Safe Online.org http://staysafeonline.org/basics/index.html
Click a link below to view the UIT Cyber Security Weekly Posters
Week 1
Week 2