Cyber safety tips to help stay safe

To Parents, Faculty & Administration

There has been an increase in physical theft, online hacking & phishing just to name a few. It is important that you stay vigilant and aware of your physical and virtual surroundings.

In addition, hackers have been targeting zoom meetings since they know kids are engaged in distance learning from home. We’ve also seen an uptick in the hacking of Internet of Things (IoT) devices (such as nest & ring doorbells, smart tv’s, smart fridges etc.).

Below are a few steps you can take to protect your devices and platforms and keep your family and loved ones safe.

• Ensure your internet service provider’s router/modem (E.g.: Xfinity routers, Linksys etc.) device is secure with a very strong password
• Update passwords to all your devices and create very strong passwords (combination of upper case, lowers case, numbers and symbols). Be sure to remember the password 😊.
• Note: Change passwords frequently preferably every month or every quarter.
• Avoid saving passwords on websites when prompted (Bank Accounts, Shopping Sites etc.)
• Update the passwords to all accounts (Bank, Email, Shopping etc.)
• Unless needed for video conferencing, cover camera with a lens cover or use a sticker when using laptops, iPad etc.
• Beware of fraudulent text messages, emails, phone calls. Always verify their authenticity as these could be in form:
• Company’s claiming, they are nonprofit organizations seeking donations to COVID-19
• Random phone numbers that you do no recognize asking to open a link
• Friends/Family you may know but suspect the message looks or sounds odd coming from them