Sorry kids, summer is coming and it's almost time to go back to school. But it's not all bad. College is a great time to make friends, discover new passions, and take your first steps toward a career. But now is not the time to fall for a cyber scam.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to stay safe online on campus, and learning about them is your first lesson of the academic year. Here's your required reading:
Beware of public Wi-Fi networks
The best way to protect yourself online at university is to be careful when using public Wi-Fi networks. That’s where the best VPNs come in handy.
Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in public Wi-Fi networks to collect personal data from anyone who connects to them. This is known as a man-in-the-middle attack, but the additional encryption provided by a VPN makes the maliciously obtained data unreadable and makes it much harder for cybercriminals to extract useful information from it.
Beware of phishing scams
In college, most communication happens via email because there are so many resources to access, so many professors to contact, and so many assignments to turn in. But the last thing you want is to fall for a phishing scam. Here’s a quick look at how to watch for and protect yourself from phishing attacks.
- NEVER CLICK a link or download files from a strange email.
- Be careful of excessive typos, strange email domains, and never reveal your private information to someone you don't know.
- Consider one of the most secure VPNs. Surfshark and NordVPN have antivirus-like software that can automatically detect and flag suspicious links and URLs.
- Be wary of text messages claiming to be from your college or student loan company. Verify the number or speak to the instructor in person if you are unsure.
- Install one of the best antivirus software or check out free link and malware checking tools, like those available on the NordVPN website.
Use strong passwords
One of the best ways to protect your cybersecurity is to use a strong password. Make sure it’s not easily guessable (don’t use your pet’s name, your birthdate, or common phrases), and don’t use the same login information for every site or service you sign up for. It’s also helpful to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible.
Sure, it can be a pain to remember so many long and different passwords, but you can always use a dedicated password manager tool to stay on top of things. These handy systems store all your passwords securely and conveniently. Many VPNs even come with their own password managers.
Avoid offers that are too good to be true
Given the limited budget students have, it’s understandable that they’re looking for the best deals, but unfortunately some of them are too good to be true. These are scams designed to get you out of your money or personal information, without offering anything in return.
Everyone loves a good movie night, right? With so many streaming services out there these days, it can be expensive to stay on top of everything, but if you see a deal from Netflix or Disney+ offering an extreme discount, it's probably not real.
Dubious sites that claim to offer full movie catalogs or live sports events should also be treated with caution. There is a good chance that they are filled with malware. They may host dubious advertisements that could infect your device with fraudulent software if you click on them, or hide links that will redirect you to phishing sites that may seem legitimate at first glance.
Even if you want to save money by downloading materials, such as textbooks and educational resources, be careful. Cybercriminals can hide malware in the download or use fake links. That's why I recommend using a link checker first.
Follow these steps and you should be able to focus on having fun – I mean studying.