Hi Hinds Family! It is Alexis from IT, bringing you Information Technology’s first blog post for 2017! This posting is about cybersecurity and ways to stay safe online.
According to the Digital Marketing Ramblings Journal, at least 51 percent of American adults experienced some type of cybersecurity problem between December 2015 and December 2016. That equates to about 80-90 million attacks over the course of a year. But don’t fret! This quick guide will hopefully leave you feeling a little more secure when accessing the World Wide Web.
Protect Your Personal Information
The best way to protect your personal information is to create a strong password. The most secure passwords are at least 12 characters long, with at least one capitalized letter, one number and one symbol. Also, have multiple passwords for different accounts. Your most critical account should have the strongest password. In the event that two-step authentication is available for your account, you should activate it to make your account more secure. There are several methods to two-step authentication: an email or text message with a verification code, or even fingerprint identification.
Keep a Clean Machine
Be sure to keep your security software current across all devices. Your operating system and web browsers need to be up to date as well to fight against viruses and other online threats. Also, if your software allows automatic updates, turn that feature on to ensure that you will always have the most current software.
Connect With Care
Many places offer free Wi-Fi; however, these Wi-Fi settings may not always offer a secure connection, making it easy for hackers to obtain your information. Do not access sensitive information on a Wi-Fi network that is not secure. Be sure to only purchase from trusted websites. Entering your credit card information on an unsecure site is the easiest way to fall victim to identity theft.
Be Web Wise
It is imperative that you recognize phishing ads and emails. Phishing and malware were the number one cyber-attacks in 2016. Phishing simply means if the offer is too good to be true, then it more than likely is just that. So sorry, but you didn’t win a free iPad in that pop-up ad. In addition, you should back up your documents, photos, and videos to a storage server. Your OneDrive storage in your My.Hinds account provides more than enough storage for your files. Last, but not least, avoid cyberbullying and encourage others to do the same. Social media has become a big part of our daily lives and sometimes, the things we post to social media can be perceived in many ways. Be aware of the things that you post about yourself or someone else.
Remember to Protect Your Personal Information, Keep a Clean Machine, Connect With Care, and Be Web Wise in order to combat hackers and stay safe online!
Employees, check the PDI calendar for a Cybersecurity PDI coming to your campus! For any additional questions, contact the Support Center at 601.857.3344, or by email at support@hindscc.edu.
Check back for more posts from the IT Department!
