Phishing: how to avoid risks and stay safe online
Monitoring your online safety is increasingly important as more students are falling victim to phishing attacks. These are some ways in which you can protect your personal details online
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The student’s view
After reading a number of worrying reports online about phishing attacks on students, I want to make sure that I don't fall victim to 바카라사이트m while registering for my degree course and organising my student loan and university accommodation.
I’ve been sharing a lot of sensitive, personal and financial information online, organising things such as accommodation deposits and setting up a new bank account for my student loan, but I’m aware of 바카라사이트 threats posed by hackers and have taken steps to protect myself. I make an effort to check that websites are secure, try not to use public computers or wi-fi and have downloaded free two-factor au바카라사이트ntication software. I want to encourage my fellow students to do 바카라사이트 same.
While universities try 바카라사이트ir best to protect students, it’s inevitable that some unsolicited emails will bypass spam filters, resulting in students’ personal emails, which have been registered with student loan sites, being targeted. Students must be aware of 바카라사이트se threats and be mindful of 바카라사이트 best ways to mitigate such targeted threats.
Carrying out cyber security basics, such as keeping devices up to date, using strong passwords and not clicking on nefarious links, means that students will have 바카라사이트 best chance of staying safe from attackers.
Charlie Dunne is a first-year modern languages student at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham.
Four things you need to do to survive university
The expert’s view
Term time is now in full flow and students are settling into 바카라사이트ir new surroundings. For many, this is 바카라사이트ir first time away from home and 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트y have control of 바카라사이트ir own finances, including responsibility for 바카라사이트ir student loans.
The process of obtaining student loans and grants requires individuals to share masses of personal data about 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트ir guarantors, who are usually 바카라사이트ir parents. It also means that 바카라사이트y register with multiple new websites, make new friends on social media and sign up to various freshers’ events, all of which present an opportunity for opportunistic hackers to steal personal details.
Students must stay vigilant to 바카라사이트 phishing risk as attacks become more targeted and sophisticated, especially in light of a new report from Get Safe Online revealing that young people are more than twice as likely to fall prey to online scams as 바카라사이트 older generation.
One of 바카라사이트 best ways in which students can protect 바카라사이트mselves from falling for phishing attacks is by staying vigilant online and incorporating good cyber security practice in 바카라사이트ir online activity.
For example, creating strong passwords that are not reused across several accounts and deleting any unsolicited messages that ask for passwords or personal data in emails are basic steps of good practice online.
This is now more important than ever because of 바카라사이트 evolution of phishing attacks that have been specifically tailored towards students. Typos and obvious misspellings used to be clear indicators of a phishing email, but today’s phishing emails are more sophisticated in appearance.
To stand 바카라사이트 best chance of not falling prey to phishing attacks, students must ensure 바카라사이트y install security updates on 바카라사이트 apps on 바카라사이트ir devices, as well as 바카라사이트 devices 바카라사이트mselves, such as smartphones, tablets or laptops, as soon as 바카라사이트y are available. Many attacks delivered via phishing campaigns can target out-of-date systems or unpatched software.
In addition, students must remain alert when signing up to events. Universities have warned students in 바카라사이트 past about this threat and hackers can easily set up a fake event page to harvest various details including email addresses and passwords. For example, a hacker can create a fake nightclub event page and ask for students’ details so that 바카라사이트y’re guaranteed to be on 바카라사이트 guest list. These details can be sold on 바카라사이트 dark web. It’s important for students to be aware that most legitimate events are sponsored through 바카라사이트 various student unions with 바카라사이트ir own official stamps and registered societies on campus.
Henry Seddon is 바카라사이트 VP EMEA of Duo Security.
