Privacy Topics for Faculty and Staff
Social Media
Many social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn have security controls available to users that allow you to place viewing and sharing restrictions on your personal information, friend information, network affiliations and postings. Make sure that you become familiar with these controls so that you can protect the privacy of your information as well as that of the individuals in your network or "friend" group.
Phishing
Phishing is a common practice used by hackers to steal your information via e-mail. Although many people have become smart about this crime and can recognize phishing attempts quicker these days, many users are still becoming victims of phishing scams. Remember that you should never click on a link or open attachments sent to you by a stranger. Also, if the sender is familiar to you but, the message is suspicious, do not click on the link or open the attachment.
IMPORTANT: Reputable organizations, including your employer, will never ask for your personal or financial information via e-mail. Any attempts to get this type of information from you is a scam and the e-mail should be deleted immediately. If you respond to a phishing scam with your bank account information or e-mail account information, change your online bank account or e-mail account password immediately. Also, contact your financial institution for further guidance if your financial account information was sent in the phishing e-mail.
Passwords
Weak passwords are the #1 reason why online accounts are breached or accessed by unauthorized individuals. Weak passwords are those that are based on words from the dictionary and common passwords like your mother's maiden name and date of birth. Always use strong passwords that are composed of at least 8 characters that are a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
Administrative Voyeruism
The term administrative voyeurism is a higher ed term that has also been used in the healthcare industry. It refers to the ability of someone who has access to certain records but who does not NEED to view them. For example, you might have access to a co-worker's educational records but, do you have the right to view or share that information? The answer is no! This is a violation of privacy.
Confidential Information
The protection of privacy for confidential information should always be a priority. This type of information is considered to be extremely valuable and its unauthorized release could be extremely damaging to the organization, department and the individuals responsible for protecting it. Access to confidential information should always be limited to the very few who have to have access to it for their job function.
