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A Resource Guide for Securing Personal Devices

Disclaimer:

Some of the solutions below may have a one time, monthly, or yearly fee--the school does not assume fiscal responsibility if you choose to implement any suggested apps, nor will we be responsible for issues encountered using them.

Always do your own research before purchasing any technology solutions--this page is only meant to be a resource to assist this process.

How Can I Stay Safe Browsing the Web?

The best way to stay safe on the web is to know what threats are out there. Below you can find a list of common threats and ways to stay safe.

Phishing:

- Explained here
- Protective Measures:
  - Enable Multi-Factor Authentication on all accounts that support it
  - Never click an unexpected link

Viruses:

Explained here
Protective Measures:
- Think before you click (don't click links to sketchy websites, or links and attachments in unsolicited emails)
- Keep device software up to date
  - Yes it can be a pain when windows wants to 'Apply Updates' for 20 minutes, but those updates are often security patches and should be installed regularly.
- Get all downloads (software, music, videos) from official and repudiable sources
- Use a reliable antivirus (or combination of antivirus software)

Note: Many of the antivirus solutions have a free version for consumer devices (at home use)

Brute Force Attacks:

Explained here
Protective Measures:
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication on all accounts that support it
- Follow password best practices:

Use different passwords for all accounts:

- - It's a pain--but hear me out--it means if the random web account you made 10 years ago gets leaked on the dark web, your Amazon and bank accounts aren't also at risk. It also means you don't have to change passwords on everything if one company is breached.
  - To track these and make sign in easier, use a secure password manager such as Zoho Vault or NordPass-- most managers will autofill usernames and passwords for you with their app/extension on safe devices.

Use a Pass Phrase instead of a password:

- - - A 'Strong' 8 character password containing numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and symbols, with no other protective measures, could be cracked in 5 minutes in 2023. That means a hard to remember password like R7#jSk$1 isn't as secure as we thought.
    - A 14 character passphrase like Find#The#Cake2 is easier to remember, and would take One Million years to crack as of 2023.
    - Please do not use the above examples as your actual password, this is a public page.

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