Follow these tips to stay safe online and learn more from the IT Services Cybersecurity blog.

• Spam and Phishing
• Identity Theft
• Malware: Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses
• Unauthorized Use
• Illegal File Sharing
• Social Media Risks

Spam and Phishing

Filter spam — also known as unsolicited bulk email. Its purpose may be to sell something, to steal personal information, trick you into sharing your personal data, or spread malware. Be leery of email scams that use phishing to get your credit card number, social security number, passwords, or bank information.

Fighting Spam and Phishing

• Activate spam filtering to reduce the amount of spam you receive in your Outlook Inbox.
• For wrongly blocked emails, add the sender or an email domain to your safe senders list.
• Evaluate links that lead to outside documents before clicking them.
• Be cautious about opening attachments and downloading files from an email.
• Know what phishing emails are and see the Phishing FAQ.
• Watch out for impersonation attacks.
• Understand and avoid social engineering attacks.

Identity Theft

Protect yourself against identity theft. Wisconsin's Bureau of Consumer Protection recommends the following:

• Check your credit report frequently. Obtain your credit report free from each of the three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, each year from AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228.
• Check your U.S. mail daily. Shred credit card offers, bills or any items that contain personal or financial information.
• Check your bills and bank statements monthly. Look at your statements as soon as you get them to see if there are unauthorized charges or withdrawals. If there are, report them immediately.
• Protect your computer and smartphone. Verify computer security settings to make certain there is firewall, virus, spam and spyware protection on your computer. Log off or lock your computer between uses.
• Guard your social security number. Don't carry your Social Security card with you, and don't use the number as a PIN or password if possible.
• Keep your personal information personal. Give out personal information like account, credit card or social security numbers only when you initiate the contact and can verify it as a legitimate source.
• Be secure in your residence hall room or apartment. For your personal safety and identity's safety, lock your room or apartment at all times. Keep sensitive documents in a safe place, locked up.
• Use credit card smarts. Avoid leaving a credit card as a bar tab. Limit the number of credit cards in your name so you can keep track of expenses.
• Update your forwarding information. Because college students move frequently, notify the U.S. Postal Service at usps.com to notify them of your forwarding address.
• Limit the number of identification cards you carry. If you don't need it, don't carry it with you — especially documents like your birth certificate and passport.

Malware: Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses

Guard against malware — programs which maliciously change the way a computer operates — such as viruses, worms and trojan horses. New updates to your system come out regularly to patch vulnerabilities.

• To protect your personal computer from malware and other threats, IT Services recommends using the security software built-in to your computer's operating system. Windows users can run Malwarebytes Adwcleaner to remove unwanted programs and malware.
• Keep your operating system up to date.
  • Windows users: Set up Windows to check for system updates automatically
  • Mac users: Use Software Update

Unauthorized Use

Prevent unauthorized use of your computer, mobile devices and their connected networks. Don't risk exposing your email, class registration, grades, salary/wages, sensitive data, and other important information.

• Keep an eye on your computer and log out.
• Do not leave your computer unattended. Guard access to your computer by keeping it in a locked room or buy a lock to keep your computer from walking away. Always log out before leaving a lab or library computer.
• Use "strong" passwords.
• Don't share your password.
• Enable your computer's firewall.
• Back up your data.

Illegal File Sharing

File sharing slows network performance and puts your computer at risk to receive malicious programs that can access your files. Sharing copyrighted materials is illegal and prohibited at Marquette. Marquette University’s Acceptable Use Policy states that:

All copyrighted information … retrieved from e-resources or stored, transmitted or maintained with e-resources, must be used in conformance with applicable copyright and other laws.

Peer-to-peer programs make it easy to illegally download or share copyrighted material. But if you violate copyright, you may be prosecuted or sued for up to $150,000. See also Marquette University's Copyright Violation Procedure.

• Choose a legal alternative to access music (e.g., Spotify, Pandora, or Apple Music) and video (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video).
• Uninstall peer to peer file sharing programs.

Social Media Risks

Posting information on social media like Facebook can potentially put you at risk of identity theft. Future employers may access information on your site.
Malicious code sometimes also targets social media users.

• A message says that the user’s password has been reset as a security precaution. When the user clicks on the attachment purportedly containing the new password, a malicious program is downloaded and the user’s computer can become part of a botnet.
• Another message invites users to use a new login procedure. The username is already filled in and it asks for the password. Users are then told to download an update which installs malicious code on the user’s computer.

Staying Safe on Social Media

• Limit the amount and type of personal information you share.
• Enable privacy settings on social media platforms.
• Refer to the US-CERT Staying Safe on Social Networking Sites document for more information on safe use of social networking sites.