Safety Issues

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is the term for stalking that occurs online. Online harassment is the persistent, threatening pursuit of, following of, harassing of, or interfering with the peace and/or safety of a member of the community. Cyberstalking makes the victim fearful, just like physical stalking does. The stalker is aware of your whereabouts and what you are doing, and is invading your personal life. Sending threatening instant messages, texts, and emails, taking someone's online identity, and hacking and/or keeping an eye on someone's computer or emails are just a few examples of cyberstalking behaviours. In more severe situations, cyberstalking can take a very sinister turn and result in the stalker damaging your possessions, tracking your whereabouts with GPS or hidden cameras, and making threats to harm your family, pets, or pals. 

Phishing 

Phishing is an online attack that is typically disseminated using an email that appears to be from a reliable friend, company, or even your school. The email message persuades recipients into believing they need something that has been promised; frequently, this leads recipients to give sensitive information to the other party, leaving them vulnerable to additional attacks. Higher education institutions have recently turned into a hunting ground for hackers who use phishing scams. You must understand how to defend yourself because phishing attacks frequently target the University.

Non-Consensual Image Sharing

If you have sent your love partner suggestive photographs, you might not be aware that these images could be used against you in a practice called vengeance. It is simply untrue to imply that online harassment or abuse is any less genuine than the type that takes place offline. Following a breakup, your partner can start emailing your private photos to people without your consent. With this in mind, it is time to examine discussions regarding non-consensual photo or video sharing more closely. There is no way to retrieve those photographs once they have been shared. Even if you share photos consensually with your partner it does not give them the authority to forward them to others.

Safety Habits

Be careful of what you post on the internet

"If you doubt whether it is safe to do it, it is probably not safe," is the best piece of advice for using the internet safely. Several posts can raise "red flags" for students, including offensive or provocative images, sexist remarks, trash-talking of classmates, and posts concerning excessive partying, drug use, or drinking. You may want to pay attention to what your instincts are telling you not to do. Consider the articles you are sharing or the remarks you are retweeting as well. You have likely come across social media posts that made you grimace and wonder, "Why did he/she do that?" Generally speaking, it is advisable to refrain from ranting in public about religion, politics, and other "hot topics".

Change/Choose a Strong Password

If you are a work-study student, you could be required to update your password every month. A strong password is moderately challenging to guess in a brief amount of time, either by using human guessing or specialized software. Though choosing or changing strong passwords can be annoying, you must consider how much safer it makes your online presence. Passwords should never be disclosed to anybody, including faculty, staff, or students. Your password should not need to be changed so frequently if it is well chosen. Change your password right away if you think your account has been compromised. Every month's password is difficult to remember, so it is best to write it down and save it somewhere secure.

Do not Download Suspicious Content 

Keep in mind that some sources of free content are rife with malware before you start downloading it. Downloading software and files carries the danger that they may include spyware and hidden computer viruses, or that they may create a "back door" that allows unauthorized users to access your computer. Malware, viruses, keyloggers, and Trojan viruses can access sensitive data in addition to destroying your electronic gadgets. You should only download files, software, and plugins from reputable websites to secure your computer and data. You should also avoid downloading plugins to view online images, movies, music, and other content until you have confirmed their reliability. Once these vile little critters have downloaded themselves onto your hard drive, you run the very real chance of losing all of your data, including private files.

Additional tips to stay safe online at a university:

If using a public computer is your only option, there are several precautions you should take to keep both yourself and your data safe. 

• Your bank or the police would never ask for your PIN or password over the phone, so never divulge them. 
• Never use the same password across several accounts; hackers can quickly decipher these and will go through all of your accounts and change the passwords to their own. 
• Use secure passwords, and switch them out frequently. 
• Each account employing two-factor authorization receives additional security thanks to two-factor authentication. 
• Do not leave sensitive information laying around, and before discarding personal mail, destroy it. 
• You must report any odd, unauthorized behavior on your account if you spot any suspicious activity, such as changes to the security settings.

The internet is a wonderful tool when used properly. Look at how NotesVilla has helped you achieve great grades! But do make sure that you implement all of these safety measures.