Cybersecurity Begins With You; Tips From IT Services

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Cody Villar of the IT Services cybersecurity team provides tips for staying safe online during the recent October cybersecurity event.

Approximately 2.5 billion online accounts and records were compromised worldwide in 2017. Do the math, and that's around three accounts per each American. As National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) draws to an end, here are some important tips for students, faculty and staff to remember all year round.

• Cybersecurity begins with you. Be mindful of who is receiving your information and what you are sharing on your devices. Personal information is just as valuable as money. Use caution when asked to share usernames or passwords.

• Much of our nation's infrastructure relies on the internet. By safeguarding our connections and reporting suspicious content we can do our part in preventing cybercrime and threats to our resources. If you receive a suspicious email, be sure to forward it to security@uark.edu.

• An easy way to stay safe online is by using a strong password. As a reminder, "Razorback" is not considered a strong password. Not sure if your password is strong? Use this online password checker.

• Universities continue to be the target of hackers and phishing scams. Early this year, nine hackers were indicted after attacking more than 300 universities. Continued cybersecurity education, awareness and training help protect everyone.

• Protecting online data and resources is our shared responsibility. Learn more about safe practices with the National Cyber Security Alliance.

Stay up-to-date with current IT topics, including cybersecurity, by following IT Services at twitter.com/uarkits or subscribe to campus technology news at its.uark.edu/news-events.