As you begin (or continue) your college journey, there are more ways your data will be collected and more ways that it can be shared or hijacked. From the tools you use to help with school work, to the clubs and activities you join, you'll need to be aware of what data is being collected and the ways you can control it.
We've put together some tips to help you navigate this new digital landscape.
Check Out Your Schools Student Data Privacy Policies University websites usually don't make it obvious where you can find these policies, but you can start by going to the IT department's page and looking for the information there. You can also use a search engine and type in your school's name and "privacy policy" and see what pops up. Make sure you are looking for the student data privacy policy and not the general website privacy policy.
The student data privacy policy should include information about acceptable and unacceptable use of your student data, information about third-party sharing of your data and how to opt out of it, and information about laws governing data privacy such as FERPA and HIPAA.
Your school will probably offer multiple opportunities to opt out of data sharing, but again, you'll probably have to do a search using your school's name and "opt-out" to quickly find the correct forms. Some things you may want to consider opting out of are school directories which might include your name, major, attendance dates, and possibly data about your courses and grades. You will also want to opt out of third-party data sharing, if you are having trouble finding a way to opt out of this you can also go directly to Google and download their opt-out browser add-on, this will let you opt out of Google Analytics entirely.
Choose Your WiFi Networks Carefully
Assume that any public WiFi network is not secure! Don't access financial or personal information on a public network and only use secure sites, you'll know if it's secure if the URL starts with "HTTPS".
You also have the option of using a VPN, which scrambles and changes your computers IP address. This essentially hides your online activity from anyone trying to get a peek. Do your research on VPNs, and make sure the VPN itself isn't collecting your data, or slowing down your connection. You should also read their privacy policies to see what their safety protocols are.
Register Your Devices
Did you know at most schools you can register your devices with campus police? If your device is lost or stolen and ends up in the hands of campus police it will be much easier to get it back if it's registered.
Create Strong Passwords
We've said it before and we'll say it again, a strong password is your first line of defense. It's tempting to reuse passwords, especially now that you will have more accounts to log in to. Your best bet is to use a password manager that will create and store unique, strong passwords for each account. If you really want to create your own, make sure you aren't using things like a pets name, a birthday, or any other information that may be publicly available. Make your passwords long! Don't just use the minimum number of characters, and use a variety of letters, numbers, and special characters.
Who Sent That Email?
Just because it looks like the email was sent from your school doesn't mean that was the actual sender. It's pretty easy to make an email look legit, if you get an email from a department that you don't usually interact with, look at the actual email address that sent it. Still unsure? Just give that department a call (using the information on the school website, NOT the information in the email) and double-check. Add known safe emails to your safe sender list, and always verify before clicking a link or downloading an attachment. This is best practice for ALL of your emails, not just one from your school. Red flags in emails are spelling errors, grammar errors, and generic greetings.
Two Factor Authentication
Two Factor Authentication or 2FA is like the icing on the cake, another layer of security. There are multiple ways to use 2FA like push notifications from a trusted device, biometric sensors, software like Duo, and even hardware like a USB drive or a code-generating keychain.
Check Your Financials
Most college students don't have much in the way of credit history, so there are no delinquencies or late payments bringing your credit score down. This makes you more attractive to identity thieves. Regularly check your bank accounts for unauthorized charges, and your credit reports for accounts that were opened without your permission will make it easier to catch nefarious activity before major damage is done. You can also set up alerts with your bank and the credit bureaus to alert you to suspicious activity.
Update Your Devices
Keep all your devices up to date, you can set auto-updates so you don't even have to think about it, just make sure your device is plugged in during the time you set for the updates. It's also wise to install antivirus software. There are lots of free versions out there and your school may even provide you a link for a free or deeply discounted one. While you're at it, make sure you are backing up your device to a backup service like the cloud, or to an external hard drive.
Lock Down and Lock Up
Use the "Find My" feature on your device or use an app that provides this service. It will allow you to lock down your device or erase sensitive information in the event your device is lost or stolen. To help prevent it from getting stolen in the first place, consider getting a small lockbox for your dorm room and locking your devices up when you are not in the room.
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