Students relaxing and studying in the Ferguson Center Great Room.

Cybersecurity: Keeping Your Personal Identity Personal

Cybersecurity is an evolving field. As security professionals find new solutions and strategies to block attacks, hackers are creating new approaches to discover sensitive data. If one thing is certain about the field of cybersecurity, it’s that it’s not going anywhere.

UA’s Office of Information Technology has a few tips to ensure your sensitive data is always protected.

  • Passwords are still important. Choose a strong password. OIT recommends that passwords be 12 characters or more, with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Use a phrase that’s easy for you to remember, harder for someone else to figure out. If two-factor authentication is offered, use it. Gmail, iCloud and many banks now offer two-factor authentication.
  • Consider establishing a credit freeze, and monitor your credit. You can easily establish a credit freeze with the four major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, Transunion and Innovis. A credit freeze does not impact your credit score; it simply makes it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Sometimes there is a fee for this service, but it is usually $10 or less.
  • Remember the red flags of phishing. As we approach the holiday season, the phishers will be in full force attempting to steal your sensitive data. Remember to hover over links before you click, and the “from” email address should match the “from” email name. For example, if you receive a tracking email from UPS, the email should derive from a ups.com email address.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. To see all of the tips OIT has shared on cybersafety, visit oit.ua.edu/news.