Device Safety and Security

Preventative Measures for Device Security

1. Make sure all of your devices are password protected with a password that is unique (numbers, letters and special characters)

2. Turn on tracking so that if a device is lost, you might be able to locate it. Lost Mac, Lost iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android devices and Windows. Very few people actually use the built-in tracking features but it really does help in situations where the device is missing.

3. Lock your phone with a password or fingerprint detection. Set the time on your password lock to be short as well—30 seconds or less should cut it.

4. If it's not already the default on your phone, consider encrypting your data. 

5. Set up remote wipe. Android | iOS, Mac OS; this can prevent data breaches. 

6. Back-up your data on the Cloud to protect you in case of loss or theft.

7. Avoid third-party apps that are not on the Google Play Store or iTunes.

8. Avoid jailbreaking your iPhone or rooting your Android. 

9. Update operating systems often.

10. Look out for phishing scams, charity scams using fake sites, gift card scams as well as unsolicited delivery notifications. You can alert us of phishing scams directed to your ICS Google account by using the Phish Alert Button on the right-hand side panel in Gmail.

11. If you have to use a public Wifi network, you should use a virtual private network (VPN) and turn off auto-join for the network or use your own phone as a personal hotspot to surf more securely. VPNs use end-to-end encryption to prevent a hacker from reading your data in transit.

12. Avoid public charging stations and always bring your own portable charger.

13. Do not leave your device unattended, for example, in your car or on a table/desk.

What to do if your device is lost - ICS procedures

1. Change your passwords on any account that is on the device either within apps or saved passwords, as a precaution. Priority should be given to banking or other financial institutions.

2. If the device was lost on the ICS campus, contact the ICS Security team to ask if they have found the device.

3. If not found, report the device missing to ICS IT Help Desk as soon as possible. The IT Help Desk personnel will ask you some basic questions to evaluate if there is a data breach(ICS data on the device). The IT help desk can only help ICS students or staff locate lost devices if that device was registered in our device registration system. If you have used our “EagleNet” WiFi network, then your device was registered. We will be able to track it on our campus if it is still connected and on premises. 

4. Check the appropriate tracking app and if you see the device; do not attempt to retrieve the device on your own.