October is Cyber Security Awareness Month!

To avoid the risk of identity theft, do not post personally-identifiable information on Facebook or elsewhere on the Web. Even if your profile is only available to people you’ve ‘friended,’ others may still see your information.

• Use caution when sharing your phone number, location, class schedule, or other personal information.
• If you must post your birthday, omit your birth year and restrict access to your profile.

VirusScan is available at no cost to all members of the University community from OIT. Download the latest version even if you already have VirusScan installed on your computer. For best results, run VirusScan and Malwarebytes together.

Avoid expensive computer repairs! Infections occur most often on systems that are not up-to-date.

• Don’t ignore operating system updates! Install’em!
• Use Secunia to keep your software updated (it’s free, too!)
• Keep your Web browser, Adobe Reader, and Flash Player up-to-date!

Passwords become vulnerable over time. To prevent random attacks, change your passwords twice a year, on the same day you update your clocks for daylight savings. (This year, it’s on November 7.) If you suspect that your password has been stolen or compromised, change it immediately.

Protect your personal information: keep what you need, purge what you don’t! Be sure to empty your computer’s Recycle Bin on a regular basis. Shred sensitive paper documents or black out the sensitive details of any document you plan to recycle. Then, empty your paper recycling. Back up your important files to a safe location, such as UDrive.

The best way to monitor activity on your financial accounts is to carefully inspect your credit report every year. Federal law requires the nation’s major credit reporting companies to give everyone a free credit report every 12 months. Once you have your report, look for inaccurate information or unfamiliar accounts.