Manhattan College IT Services is sharing cyber safety tips in support of raising awareness during National Cyber Security Awareness Month, October 2019.
Overview
Social media sites, such as Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, are amazing resources, allowing you to meet, interact, and share with people around the world. However, with all this power comes risks--not just for you, but your family, friends, and employer. In this post, we cover the key steps to making the most of social media securely and safely.
Posting
Be careful and think before posting. Anything you post will most likely become public at some point, impacting your reputation and future, including where you can go to school or the jobs you can get. If you don’t want your family or boss to see it, you probably shouldn’t post it. Also, be aware of what others are posting about you. You may have to ask others to remove what they share about you.
Privacy
Almost all social media sites have strong privacy options. Enable them when possible. For example, does the site really need to be able to track your location? In addition, privacy options can be confusing and change often. Make it a habit to check and confirm they are working as you expect them to.
Passphrase
Secure your social media account with a long, unique passphrase. A passphrase is a password made up of multiple words, making it easy for you to type and remember, but hard for cyber attackers to guess.
Lock Down Your Account
Even better, enable two-factor authentication on all of your accounts. This adds a one-time code with your password when you need to log in to your account. This is actually very simple and is one of the most powerful ways to secure your account.
Scams
Just like in email, bad guys will attempt to trick or fool you using social media messages. For example, they may try to trick you out of your password or credit card. Be careful what you click on: If a friend sends you what appears to be an odd message or one that does not sound like them, it could be a cyber attacker pretending to be your friend.
Terms of Services
Know the site’s terms of service. Anything you post or upload might become the property of the site.
Work
If you want to post anything about work, check with your supervisor first to make sure it is okay to publicly share.
Follow these tips to enjoy a much safer online experience. To learn more on how to use social media sites safely, or report unauthorized activity, check your social media site’s security page.
Refer to Manhattan College's Email Signature Knowledge Base
Article for instructions on how to create your own email signature.
Using a Manhattan College email signature is important because it is the perfect opportunity to brand every message you send. By creating a cohesive email signature for each employee on your team, you create brand recognition in every person to whom your employees sends emails.
Reach out to IT Services with any questions:
- Email: its@manhattan.edu
- Call: 718-862-7973
Partially reposted from www.sans.org/security-awareness
