Things to remember about your information
Know Your Rights
Federal law grants parents and students the right to opt-out of providing their social security numbers to educational institutions.
Under The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), academic institutions must protect the privacy of student information including health and academic information. Students can request to see how their information is used.
THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK
Remember what you learned about not accepting candy from strangers? Apply that to the
online world as well. Do not click links in emails, text messages, chat boxes, etc. from
people you do not know–and be suspicious of links sent from those you know as well.
If you encounter suspicious messages or attachments, please forward them to the security
team at your institution for further investigation. There has been a surge in malicious online
activity as cybercriminals and cyberattackers leverage the heightened fear of the public
during the coronavirus pandemic.
PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Personal information is any information that can be used to identify you or your accounts.
Examples include your name, address, phone number, usernames and passwords, pictures,
birthday and social security number. Don’t post or share this information with others.
PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER
Be sure to keep your laptop or tablet close to you. When you’re done using it for the day, put
it in a safe place at home. Don’t leave it by itself outside or in a public place.
USE A PASSWORD MANAGER
Because there are a lot more threats out there during the pandemic, there are plenty of bad
actors looking to take over accounts. The easiest way to protect your accounts from being
compromised is to use long, complex, and unique passwords and the easiest way to do that is
to use a password manager.
EMPLOY MFA
Double down on your account security with multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA adds a
second check to verify your identity when logging in to one of your accounts. This helps to
keep your account from being compromised even if your password falls into the wrong
hands.
DON’T HESITATE TO UPDATE
Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system on devices is one
of the best defenses against online threats. When the computer or device says it’s time to
update the software, don’t click postpone. Update.
RUN YOUR ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
Find out if your university provides antivirus software. Most universities equip employee
computers with antivirus software and some also make antivirus software available online for
download on your home computer. You can usually get this information from the IT help desk or
the campus security team.
Informational Links
Multi-Factor Authentication
https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2018/12/may-2019-2fa-control-in-the-palm-of-your-hand
Password-Managers
https://library.educause.edu/resources/2015/7/password-managers
Information Security guide
https://www.educause.edu/focus-areas-and-initiatives/policy-and-security/cybersecurityprogram/
resources/information-security-guide
Security Awareness Videos
https://staysafeonline.org/resource/security-awareness-episodes/