Cyber Safety Tips

Summary

Follow these tips to help keep your data, accounts, and the university secure!

Body

1. Avoid Phishing scams

  • Take a pause – don’t open an email when it first arrives – malicious messages are sometimes cleaned up after delivery
  • Emails that create a sense of urgency or seem too good to be true most likely are suspect
  • Watch out for job or money laundering scams
  • Don't click links in unexpected email or text messages
  • Don’t download or open attachments you were not expecting
  • Only enter your U of I credentials at uidaho.edu or microsoftonline.com
  • Report suspicious emails to your Vandal email with the “Report Phish” button

2. Protect your devices and your data

  • Utilize lock screens with passwords or PIN codes
  • Install security updates as they become available, typically at least once a month
  • Close your web browser routinely – at least once a week, so it can auto-update
  • Back your data up and store the backups to a cloud service, like OneDrive
  • Avoid using un-trusted Wi-Fi to access sensitive information 

3. Practice good password hygiene

  • Use strong, unique passwords for every account and enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible
  • Never approve unexpected Duo notifications and change your password if you receive one
  • Never use your U of I password on any other account, and never share your password
  • Ensure the answers to your security questions are not publicly available
  • Consider using a password manager to safely store and remember passwords

4. Be careful what you share on Social Media

  • Information about you is often used to answer security questions for your accounts
  • Don't share anything, even with friends, you wouldn't want to be public or be seen by a future employer
  • If you share travel photos, share them after you have returned, so attackers don't know when you're away
  • Be careful with pictures of ID or credit cards that could give data or account access to others
  • Protect your social media accounts with MFA, and don't share your passwords 

 

 

 

 

 

Details

Details

Article ID: 2269
Created
Wed 8/10/22 5:00 PM
Modified
Tue 5/14/24 2:51 PM

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