June is National Internet Safety Month!
National Internet Safety Month is an opportunity to increase awareness about the risks we and our families face on the Internet, and to promote information and resources to help us stay safe online.
Some important Internet safety tips from Information Technology Services (ITS) to keep in mind:
1) Always remember: The Internet is not private.
Don't reveal personal details or confidential information online. Assume that anything you post online is public and could potentially be used against you. Help your family members understand this, as well. What they do online can affect your whole family.
2) Keep in mind that once you post something online, it can be very difficult to take it back. Even if you delete the information, copies can still exist on other computers, web sites, or in search engines.
3) Protect your personal information.
Don't give out personal or sensitive information to anyone you don't know or who doesn't have a legitimate need for it. Also, be sure you are using a trusted, secure web page before entering personal or sensitive information online.
4) Protect your passwords.
Make sure your passwords are complex and hard to guess, and keep your passwords secret. ITS staff will not ask you to tell them your password and neither should anyone else. See UCSC's Password Standards for more information.
See the following ITS computer security tutorials for additional information:
Additional Internet safety resources:
- OnGuardOnline.gov: Practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.
- StaySafeOnline.org: Simple steps, practices and resources about how to better secure your home computer from cyber threats.
- The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s Don't Believe the Type website, which focuses on understanding dangers on the Internet and simple rules to avoid them. (Note: Although this website is aimed at teenagers, the information and advice generally applies to people of all ages.)
- The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) Deter-Detect-Defend website on identity theft.
- ITS at UCSC also has a wide range of largely non-technical computer security awareness information available online.
Getting help:
If you have any questions about Internet safety, please contact the ITS Support Center at itrequest.ucsc.edu, help@ucsc.edu, ext. 9-4357 (HELP), or in person at 54 Kerr Hall, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
