Privacy Topics for Students
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.
Mobile Devices
More and more people are using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets as their main technology medium. This increases the possibilities of cyber crime on these devices. In order to protect your privacy on these devices, password-protect them and use secure wireless "hot spots" for Internet connection.
Secure hot spots are those that require a password for access to the Internet. Insecure hot spots will allow anyone access to the information on your device, whether you are using it or not, if you are connected to the Internet.
Also, be wary of clicking on links and opening attachments sent to you via e-mail or text by strangers. Even if the e-mail or text is sent to you by someone familiar but it seems suspicious, do not click or open it. The link could take you to a website embedded with viruses. The attachment could hold a virus that is released once you open it.
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.
