Perhaps more than ever before, the issue of cybersecurity is at the top of everyone’s mind at CSUN. It’s critical that everyone at CSUN understand how to keep CSUN and personal data secure. There are things you can do right now to protect fellow faculty, staff, students, colleagues and family members from online risks by becoming a cybersecurity advocate in your office and home. Laws, policies and best-practices documents can only do so much against malware and hacks. We need you to help us in our prevention efforts.
Tips
Lock It When You Leave It
- Your work or home may contain sensitive information and it is your responsibility to keep it safe, especially in a shared workspace. Lock your computer and mobile device screen or log off if you are stepping away.
- Never leave sensitive information open, unattended and/or unprotected.
Avoid Being a Victim of Malware
- Encrypt your portable devices.
- Don't attach devices to unknown networks or computers.
- Avoid using open wireless networks.
Protect Confidential Information
- Never provide information to anyone that does not have a right to the information. For faculty this includes posting grades, returning papers or talking to parents. Student education records are covered by FERPA.
- Encrypt confidential information before transferring it to another person or device.
Back up or Copy Sensitive and Critical Information and/or Databases
- Data is the most important aspect of your computer.
- It is difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to recreate your original data.
- Important to always back up data and have a plan for recovering from a system failure.
- Encrypt backups that contain sensitive data.
Practice Good Password Management
- Use a strong mix of characters.
- A strong password is at least 12 characters long.
- Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts or sites.
- Don’t share your password with others or write it down.
- Do not save passwords on a browser.
When In Doubt Throw It Out
- Don’t open suspicious links in emails, posts, ads, messages or attachments, even if you know the source.
- Shred any confidential records that have expired.
The Most Dangerous Words Are Click Here
- Always be careful when clicking on attachments or links in an email.
- If it looks suspicious don’t click on it.
