It鈥檚 Time To Learn 快活app Cybersecurity
Many college students don鈥檛 realize they鈥檙e at risk for cyberattacks and 聽data breaches. While some understand the dangers associated with clicking links from unknown sources鈥攁nd 聽
the responsibilities that come with posting on social media鈥攖here are 聽still many students who become 聽victims of cyberattacks.
Especially with remote learning becoming more popular in college settings, the threats you face via email, social media, and on mobile devices are all too real. Phishing, social media risks, device protection, and secure Wi-Fi are just some important topics for all college students to pay attention to.
While cyberattackers do try to take advantage of students, they also want to target their universities. Getting into a university鈥檚 network and data could give them access to things like banking accounts, medical records, and even cutting-edge research. It could also let them send phishing emails from a university account to reach a larger audience.
Phishing 101聽
Something all students need to learn is how to recognize and avoid phishing attacks. Phishing emails are designed to trick people into helping the attacker. Falling for one can expose personal information without you even realizing it. Attackers use these emails to collect sensitive data, gain access to accounts, or steal money. Even if you feel you don鈥檛 have enough important information or money for an attacker to benefit from scamming you, you can still be a target.
Tips for Spotting a Phish
鈥 聽 聽Sender details: Be wary if you don鈥檛 know the sender, or if you鈥檝e never provided them with an email address. If you do know the sender, think about other emails you鈥檝e received from them. Also, beware of messages from free email services rather than official organizational emails.
鈥 聽 听颁辞苍迟别虫t: What is the purpose of the email? Attackers will use emotions and urgency to scare you or intrigue you. They want you to react quickly, and without thinking. Always verify any offers with the organization the email claims to be from. Do not reply directly to the email.
鈥 聽 聽Content: What does the email contain?Be wary of attachments you aren鈥檛 expecting, as they can download malicious software (malware) to your device. Be wary of errors and unusual language. Do not click any links, even if they look valid. Hovering over links first allows you to see the URL and its true destination.
If an email looks suspicious, be sure to investigate it, 聽and delete it.
Social Media: Be Smart
Social media is a big part of daily life. We鈥檙e used to being bombarded with appeals to 鈥渃onnect,鈥 to take part in a survey, or to explore a new website. However, be cautious! Consider the 鈥渨ho鈥 and the 鈥渨hat鈥 of a request. Do you know this person? Is this a message from someone you know, but it doesn鈥檛 sound like them? What are they asking you to do?
While many students are aware of the dangers of social media, attackers are always finding new ways to hack into people鈥檚 accounts. And posting private information on your profile practically puts it into the hands of an attacker. Always be cautious with any personal information you put on your social media accounts鈥攁nyone can access it easily.
Steps To Take When Something Seems Wrong
鈥 聽 聽Ignore posts and links that lead to unfamiliar or unverified websites
鈥 聽 聽Reject connection requests from people you鈥檝e never met
鈥 聽 聽Block and report suspicious messages and/or accounts
鈥 聽 聽Alert colleagues, friends, or family members if you see signs that one of their accounts has been taken over or duplicated
鈥 聽 聽Follow your organization鈥檚 policies if someone reaches out to you with a persistent or suspicious interest in your organization
EXTRA TIPS!
鈥 聽 聽We鈥檝e all come to rely on Wi-Fi, but public Wi-Fi is unsecure, and risky! Any network that doesn鈥檛 require a password is not secure鈥攏o matter where it is. Using public Wi-Fi could lead to an attacker accessing your data.
鈥 聽 聽If you see something, say something. Even when classes are remote, physical security habits should still apply. Be sure to have secure passwords on all devices and accounts. Failing to follow these security measures (even when they feel inconvenient) can lead to very harmful security breaches.
鈥 聽 聽Students are just as vulnerable to security breaches as anyone else鈥攄on鈥檛 succumb to attackers鈥 tactics.