Phishing: how to be safe online
It`s very important to pay much attention to your online safety. More and more students and ordinary people are becoming victims of phishing attacks. Still it`s possible to protect your data online.
Student`s view on the problem
I`ve read lots of information on phishing, when students often fall victims online. Every time when I share my personal data in the Internet I`m very attentive and careful.
It`s impossible not to tell your personal information online, as I have to sign up for degree courses, organize my student`s loan and accommodation. Fortunately, I`m aware of all the threats and I know about the hackers, so I follow some steps to make myself safe. I thoroughly check whether the website is secure, I use the two-factor authentication software, I try not to use public computers or Wi-Fi for private things. I recommend every student to do the same, as no one can protect us better than we ourselves.
Despite universities try to protect students in many ways, some emails can bypass the spam check and get to students` personal emails which have been used for registering loans. This means all of us should remember of such threats and know how to act in such situations.
The best way to keep your cyber security is to use strong passwords, not to click on nefarious links and keep your devices up to date.
Expert`s view on the problem
Entering higher educational establishment is a new step in the life of every student. It`s time when students have to become responsible for lots of new things, including their own finances and student`s loan.
The procedure of getting loans or grants takes not only much time, but also requires much personal information about students and their parents, who are their guarantors. Moreover, students have also register on various websites, sign up for different events which also ask for their personal data, and this is a great chance for hackers to take over personal information.
Students have to be really attentive and careful, as phishing is spreading very quickly, and attacks are more targeted and complicated. The Get Safe Online reports that the youth is most likely to become victims of phishing in comparison to older generation.
Students should protect themselves by being attentive while working online and using all possible ways to secure their online activity.
For instance, students should create strong passwords and do not use the same passwords for several accounts. They should also delete messages which ask for their personal data or any passwords.
Nowadays phishing is mostly aimed at students. Spelling mistakes used to be the most often feature of a phishing email, but today letters are better-checked.
Students should install the updates on their devices, using the original recourses. Most phishing attacks are done through the out-of-date systems.
Moreover, students have to be careful when they sign up for some events. Universities warn that hackers can create fake pages of events to collect students` personal data, including their email address and password. Students have to make sure the events are hold by the university, they are sponsored by students` unions with official stamps.
You should stay alert while inserting any kind of your personal information online. Only you can safe yourself from phishing.
