Unlocked workstations, unencrypted data on mobile devices, and unsecured wireless networks make data vulnerable to loss, identity theft, and sensitive data breaches. By taking simple steps to secure your data, you can dramatically reduce the risk of data theft or exposure. Learn how to protect yourself and others by keeping data safe.
For information on using social media and web browsers more securely, visit the Using social media and Web privacy pages.
Unless your computer is in a secure, private space accessible only by you, you should enable a screen saver that will automatically lock the screen after 15 minutes of inactivity, requiring a password/passphrase to unlock it. This is necessary, because an unauthorized person could see sensitive information, manipulate your email or social networking sites, or exploit the access to your computer in other ways.
For your own protection, always fully log out of all of your computer accounts before leaving any workstation — this includes not only Oncourse and One.IU, but also from the actual workstation as well (Windows or Mac OS X).
Users of the Lync voicemail system should be aware that under certain conditions, they could be unintentionally sharing their University voicemail message with other people.
If a person has iTunes installed on a device, and iTunes is configured to share the iTunes library, (as may be set by default during the installation), there exists a strong possibility that retrieving Lync voicemail messages can result in sharing that voicemail message with individuals with access to your iTunes shared Library folder.
While using a media playback program other than iTunes is helpful, there is still the possibility that iTunes can intercept the download of a Lync voicemail message and place the associated .wav file in to the iTunes shared library folder.
If the voicemail message contains information regarding grades, identification numbers, banking numbers, protected health information (PHI), or other forms of restricted or critical data, and that message is shared with individuals who are not authorized to hear that message, then a security breach could occur.
The best prevention is to turn off sharing in iTunes on any device used to listen to Lync messages.
We all love the convenience and connectivity of portable electronic devices and storage media such as laptops, USB drives, and smartphones. Unfortunately, such devices are also particularly vulnerable to loss or theft - along with the information stored on these devices.
Loss or theft of portable devices/media is a significant risk and the consequences can be serious, especially when the potential for identity theft and the obligations imposed by sensitive data disclosure laws are considered.
IU uses a secure wireless network on campus. If you’re computing from home, you need to be sure to secure your wireless network. Learn how to secure your home wireless network.
Don’t forget about paper-based documents! Printed information still poses a security hazard if it’s not properly stored and disposed of. Invest in an inexpensive cross-cut shredder to use on your financial and other sensitive documents both in your office and at home.
