Tips: Back-To-School Identity Protection Tips

  • Aug 06, 2008

Millions of Americans will be returning to school and many now use computers in the classroom and home. Computers are one of the largest and potentially risky sources of personal information. (234 million records have been exposed due to breaches since 2005.) If stolen, your personally identifiable information can easily lead to identity theft.

Statistics show close to a million -- if not more -- laptops are stolen each year. Once a hacker has your laptop, they will siphon any data they find on it and potentially sell your identity online. Schools are traditionally unprotected environments. Keeping your personal information secure is a critical responsibility because losing that information can impact you for the rest of your life.

The makers of identity theft prevention software, Identity Finder provides tips to help protect your identity at school:

1. Don't store personal information unprotected: By securing your identity wherever it exists on your computer, you prevent your identity from being stolen, even if your computer is.

2. Don't share personal information: When using Facebook and other social networks, do not share your Date of Birth or personal details with anyone.

3. Don't assume your school is protecting you: Most college networks are unprotected, thereby allowing a host of malicious programs to reach you through the Internet.

4. Protect your password: Your password is now a form of your identity and can be used to access your computer, your online bank account, etc. Make sure it is at least seven characters, contains numbers, and upper and lowercase letters.

5. Configure peer-to-peer file sharing programs securely: You might download music and movies using file sharing programs, but these programs may also allow people to steal your private data such as financial aid documents. Configure them not to expose personal folders.

6. Install software updates and fixes often: Always update Windows and Mac, your web browsers, and multimedia applications such as Apple Quicktime and Adobe Flash, as soon as possible after companies release them. These fixes plug holes that hackers already know how to exploit to gain access to your files.

7. Don't leave your laptop unattended at the library or cafeteria: Even with security cables, the hard drive that stores all your data can be easily removed. Take your laptop with you.

8. Don't click on email messages that contain hyperlinks to websites: Many new friends will be emailing you and you might be more trusting of unknown messages in the first few weeks of the semester. Phishing attacks are increasingly common so close email messages with links from unknown people and type them manually.

9. Never enter private information on public computers such as in the library or classroom: These systems may have a keylogger or spyware capturing everything you type. Use your personal computer to access sensitive websites.

10. Don't let the school use your SSN as a Student ID: Social Security Numbers are personal and confidential; don't let your registrar use it as an SID.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.