How to Protect Myself

This page provides an overview of the common threats information technology presents to you, the individual. The topics covered below include tips and point you to more detailed information on how to protect yourself and your computer.

• Identity Theft
• Passwords
• Online Shopping
• Online Harassment
• Phishing
• Social Networking Sites
• Spam

Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information to commit fraud or other crimes. For example, identity thieves can open bank or credit accounts, apply for loans, charge utilities, rent apartments, receive medical services, or apply for a job all under your name.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft affects nearly 9 million Americans each year. Identity theft is a serious crime that can cost hundreds of dollars and countless hours to resolve. Learn how you can deter and detect identity theft on the Safe Computing Identity Theft page. Included are resources on how to determine whether a threat is real and how you can order your free credit reports.

Passwords

Creating a strong password is one simple step you can take to minimize your risk of identity theft or comprising either the university’s or your personal accounts.

• Most robust passwords are at least eight (8) characters long and include a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation.
• Avoid using consecutive numbers, dictionary words or personal information, such as your date of birth or mothers maiden name, which can be easy for hackers to guess or locate.
• In addition, change your password frequently to put up an added layer of protection.

For tips on creating strong passwords and how to keep them safe, go to the SafeComputing Passwords page.

Online Shopping

Purchasing items over the Internet can be convenient – until your credit card account or personal information is stolen. You don’t have to avoid online retailers or auctions, but you should follow some basic precautions.

• Know who you are buying from. Anyone can create a website and sell from it. Use trusted retailers, see who links to the site, consult the Better Business Bureau, and verify the seller’s postal address and phone number.
• Security, security, and more security. Set the alerts (under Preferences/Security) in your web browser to warn you when you are entering a page that is secure or not secure, or when submitting a form that is not secure. Look for indicators that the site is secure, such as a lock icon or key, SSL certificate, or a URL that begins with “https.” Never provide financial information or click on the link in pop-up messages that appear while browsing.
• Review the privacy policy. Legitimate sites will be open with you about what information they do or don’t collect. Take the time to review the privacy policy, which will tell you what personal information the website is collecting, why, and how that information will be used. Not finding a privacy policy is a good indicator that you should avoid purchasing items on that site.

Online Harassment

Online harassment can occur through e-mail, instant messages, chat rooms, and message boards and can range from menacing to annoying. Make sure that you are neither the victim nor the perpetrator of online harassment in any of these scenarios:

• Sending threats and stalking another person in one-on-one e-mails and instant messages
• Posting personal information and/or lies—which may be considered libel—about another person in public forums such as chat rooms, mailing lists (listservs) or in e-mail or instant messsages to third parties
• Threatening another person in one of these public forums

If you are receiving harassing messages that you feel threaten your personal safety, before you do anything else, contact the Ohio State University Police. Call 911 for emergencies and 292-2121 for non-emergency situations. If the online harassment is not immediately or personally threatening, you have several options available to you.

Phishing

Phishing is an illegal Internet activity that often ends up in identity theft for its victims. Phishing scams try to steal confidential information by trolling for unsuspecting victims through e-mails and sending them to fake web sites where they are tricked into providing personal information.

• Never respond to suspected phishing e-mails under any circumstances.
• Never reveal personal and confidential information such as credit card numbers and social security numbers.

Any time you receive a request for cash or personal information such as a credit card, bank account or social security number, and you did not originate the contact, you can be sure it is a scam. No matter how compelling or urgent these requests seem, do not respond. For more tips on phishing, visit the Phishing page.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites have created an entirely new dimension to sharing personal information over the Internet. They allow you to exchange information about yourself via postings, pictures, videos, email, or instant messaging with a small community of friends or the world. These sites allow you to socialize online and encourage openness, but they also challenge us to think about how we define privacy and what we consider personal. Social networking sites require an awareness of online privacy and safety.

• Know how the site works before you join. Social networking sites are each set-up differently and offer a range of options. Some allow you to post to a small group of users, while others allow anyone to view your personal postings. Look at the different features and think about what level of openness you really want. Consider whether setting viewing restrictions can help control who sees your information.
• Keep personal information to yourself. Your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, bank or credit card account numbers (and that of others) do not belong on these sites. By posting them, you open yourself up to identity theft or stalkers.
• Information lasts forever. Only post information you are comfortable with others seeing, including your professors, parents, current or future employers, coworkers, or the police. Even if you change your mind and delete what you posted, the information is still out there. Older versions may exist on someone else’s computer and social networking sites can never fully remove these files.

Spam

Spam is unwanted junk e-mail, usually sent in bulk, that is deceptive, annoying and/or offensive. Fortunately, anti-spam measures are available at both the university level, to identify and filter spam before it lands in users' mailboxes, and at the user level, to eliminate the spam that gets through.

• Activate your spam filters. If you are a student and use the university’s webmail system, you are already enrolled in the anti-spam service. If you are not a student, you can activate this service [link to 8help knowledge base article - http://8help.osu.edu/2746.html]. Regardless of whether you use the university’s webmail, be sure to use the built-in junk mail filtering in your e-mail program.
• Don’t provide a free-for-all. Whenever you're online, you run the risk of having your e-mail address "harvested" by opportunists who use specialized software to collect e-mail addresses, which they use for their own purposes or sell to other spammers. Your e-mail address may be picked up whenever you post to mailing lists, chat rooms, or newsgroups, add your e-mail address to a database directory, or register for products online.

Learn more about how to defend yourself against Spam.

More Information:

Try the topics under "Beyond the Basics" or any of the following pages:

• How to Protect My Computer

Useful Sites:

• OnGuard Online provides 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.
• GetNetWise is a public service brought to you by Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations to help ensure that Internet users have safe, constructive, and educational or entertaining online experiences. The GetNetWise coalition wants Internet users to be just "one click away" from the resources they need to make informed decisions about their and their family's use of the Internet.
• National Cyber Security Alliance Stay Safe Online provides free and non-technical cyber security and safety resources to the public, so consumers, small businesses and educators have the know how to avoid cyber crime.