{"383041":{"#nid":"383041","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cybersecurity Tips to Keep Your Data Safe","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe recent data breach involving Anthem, Inc., which affected over 80 million customers, is just one in a growing number of incidents targeting personal data. While it is virtually impossible to prevent all data breaches, it\u2019s still a good idea to heed cybersecurity tips to reduce the possibility of damage from such breaches. Georgia Tech\u2019s cybersecurity experts Jason Belford and Jimmy Lummis from the Office of Information Technology recommend the following:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003EUse Strong Passwords and Safeguard Them\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETo keep data secure, create strong passwords using a series of letters, numbers, and special characters. Don\u2019t use common pieces of information, such as the names of family members, old and current addresses, schools attended, etc., that cybercriminals can find from social media sites or from public data. Become familiar with Tech\u2019s policies on strong passwords at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.policylibrary.gatech.edu\/information-technology\/passwords\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.policylibrary.gatech.edu\/information-technology\/passwords\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUse a variety of passwords to prevent hackers from accessing financial, medical, and social sites with one password.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDon\u2019t forget about online email sites. If an email account is listed in an online banking profile and that email account is hijacked, a cybercriminal can click \u201cForgot Username\/Password\u201d to gain access to your banking data.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDon\u2019t store passwords online in a browser or enable the browser to \u201cremember\u201d a password. If the password is stored in a browser, this creates easy access for hackers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChange passwords every three months, and use password managers such as Lastpass to help generate and store passwords. Georgia Tech offers Lastpass to students, faculty, and staff. Visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faq.oit.gatech.edu\/content\/lastpass-faq\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/faq.oit.gatech.edu\/content\/lastpass-faq\u003C\/a\u003E for more information.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUse a dual, or two-factor, authentication for a second layer of security. Many websites, including Gmail, Amazon, PayPal, and Twitter, now offer two-factor authentication. The second level of protection, often a randomly generated number, creates a second wall of protection against cybercriminals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate tough security questions that link your password to your identity. Georgia Tech\u2019s Passport (Personal Account Self-Service Portal \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.passport.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.passport.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) offers the option to set up a series of questions that a user is required to answer in the case of a forgotten password. These questions, called \u201chints\u201d on Passport, offer additional levels of security.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch6\u003ERecognize Phishing and Spoofing Attempts\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPhishing occurs when a cybercriminal attempts to get a user to submit personal information online. This can take the form of email messages asking for money; a link that, when clicked, downloads a virus; or spoofed websites or login pages designed to look like the real thing. To avoid falling prey to phishing or spoofing schemes, check all URLs by hovering over the link or Web address to see the full address. A secure site always includes an http\u003Cstrong\u003Es\u003C\/strong\u003E in the address bar and a reputable site name. Be wary if, for instance, an email from someone who appears to be from Georgia Tech has a \u003Cem\u003Eclick here\u003C\/em\u003E in the body that reveals the \u003Cem\u003Ehere\u003C\/em\u003E as \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatechupgrade.dfjsdh422tgs.com\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/gatechupgrade.dfjsdh422tgs.com\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gatechupgrade.dfjsdh422tgs.com\u003C\/a\u003E. That\u2019s clearly not a sanctioned Georgia Tech site because an authentic Tech site will always contain the \u201c.gatech.edu\u201d in the URL. Keep in mind, there may be some instances in which a site is simply changing its look \u2014 in which case the URL remains the same, so that\u2019s safe. For example, even though Passport recently upgraded to a new look, the URL address remained the same.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch6\u003ELimit Data Shared on Social Media Sites\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENever put anything online that you do not want everyone to know, and check privacy settings regularly. Social sites often change privacy settings, and it\u2019s not uncommon for previous settings to be reset to their default status, so check them often and make sure to check all of them. For instance, Facebook has a \u003Cstrong\u003EPrivacy\u003C\/strong\u003E setting, but it also has a \u003Cstrong\u003ESecurity \u003C\/strong\u003Esetting. And there\u2019s a separate site for mobile devices that are linked to social sites.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDon\u2019t view videos or download software from sites that aren\u2019t secure or haven\u2019t been vetted by the social community. For example, YouTube is safe as a portal, but a cybercriminal can set up a channel to lure users to click on a link designed to unleash malware (malicious software) that can infect a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch6\u003EBeef up Physical Security\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKeep your PCs, tablets, mobile devices, software, external drives, etc., in your possession to prevent data from being stolen. This includes locking up devices or hiding devices if left in a car or an area frequented by others.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGeorgia Tech students, faculty, and staff are also encouraged to register valuable items, including laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices containing serial numbers with the Georgia Tech Police Department. This allows for the owner to retrieve the item quickly in the event that property is recovered after being lost or stolen.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInstall secure passwords and PINs on mobile devices and tablets.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUpdate software often, including updates to Windows and Mac operating systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETurn off geolocation apps on your mobile phone, and make sure your Wi-Fi settings are secure. Try not to use public Wi-Fi spots, as these are not secured locations.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBack up data on an external drive and store it in a separate location.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEncrypt software when possible, clear cookies from Web browsers, and never use a \u201cfound\u201d USB drive \u2014 you don\u2019t know what\u2019s on it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch6\u003ETrust Your Intuition\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhen in doubt, don\u2019t click on a link or reveal any personal information unless the source is verified.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EContact OIT\u2019s Support Desk at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@oit.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Esupport@oit.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E with any suspicious emails, links, or websites.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile it is virtually impossible to prevent all data breaches, it\u2019s still a good idea to heed cybersecurity tips to reduce the possibility of damage from such breaches.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While it is virtually impossible to prevent all data breaches, it\u2019s still a good idea to heed cybersecurity tips to reduce the possibility of damage from such breaches."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2015-03-02 15:34:36","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:46","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/faq.oit.gatech.edu\/content\/how-identify-legitimate-website","title":"Identifying Fake Websites"},{"url":"http:\/\/tsc.oit.gatech.edu\/","title":"Technology Support Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.police.gatech.edu\/services\/property\/index.php","title":"\u2022\tGeorgia Tech Police Department Property Registration"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"4112","name":"oit"},{"id":"8111","name":"phishing"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lburroughs7@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELorrie Burroughs\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003EOffice of Information Technology (OIT)\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}