Download - Maintaining Online Privacy

Maintaining (some) Online Privacy a 3040 and Beyond presenta0on

The normal internet user has all but accepted that we’re being tracked by the NSA. (Hi there, NSA.) But maintaining a level of safe online privacy is important. This presentaCon is going to talk about the basics. (At the end, if you want to get really, really serious about locking down your online idenCty, I’ll give you some ideas about how to “delete” yourself from the internet.)

Let’s start with the easy stuff:

Don’t give anybody you don’t know your real name or password to anything. Avoid giving people you do know your passwords to stuff via text or email. Just in case. If you give your mom your passwords and she reads all your Facebook PMs from the last year, that’s all on you.

If it sounds fishy. It’s probably phishy.

phish·∙ing ˈfiSHiNG/ noun the acCvity of defrauding an online account holder of financial informaCon by posing as a legiCmate company. (thanks Google for the definiCon)

Bo<om line: Don’t open stuff from people you don’t know in your email or social media plaRorms. Don’t ever give personal informaCon or passwords to anyone you don’t know. If something comes from someone you do know, but it seems off, delete it and leave it alone. Send your friend or family member a friendly, independent email asking if they meant to send you an email about online banking (or whatever).

If you accidentally open the phishy email, back away quickly. Don’t click on ANYTHING. Then delete ASAP.

Pro-‐@p: A prince from a far off land never needs your help. Delete those emails immediately.

This should go without saying, but making sure you’ve got good an@virus soBware running (and that it’s up-‐to-‐date). If you’re not sure what to choose or how to install it, as a CU student, OIT is there to help you, just get in touch!

Log out of stuff. It’s super convenient to stay logged in all the Cme to our social media, etc. But it’s a lot harder to steal all your personal info if you’ve logged out. Plus, if you’re in the habit, you’ll be less likely to leave yourself logged on in a public situaCon (like a library computer, for instance).

Keep your loca@on private. Check seZngs on your phone and in your social media plaRorms. Many have built-‐in “LocaCon” aspects. To keep yourself safest, choose for those seZngs to remain off.

Be careful with using your full name on sites that are mainly for broad social networking (like tumblr, Instagram, etc.). It’s ok to use a handle to protect your idenCty, if you don’t feel completely comfortable posCng with your full name.

han·∙dle ˈhandl noun noun: handle; plural noun: handles 1. the part by which a thing is held, carried, or controlled. "the pan features helpful li`ing handles” 2. informal a name or nickname. "that's some handle for a baby” (thanks again, Google. You know all the stuff, don’t you?)

Some@mes using a handle is weird, inappropriate or even unprofessional. When you use LinkedIn and Facebook, your privacy will be naturally compromised because most of us use our last names and locaCons to acract employers or long lost loved ones. If you operate a blog, Twicer account or other social media that contributes to your professional life or job search, you’ll compromise some of your privacy. In situaCons where it’s appropriate to idenCfy yourself with your full name, protect yourself by avoiding sharing addresses and phone numbers that could get unsavory folks in touch with you more easily.

Keep updated on each of your social media plaQorm’s privacy policies and seRng changes. Facebook is notorious for rolling out changes quietly. Make sure you’re not giving away more that you’d like to.

Put passwords on everything from your physical devices to all your online accounts and make’em hard. Whether you use a password manager like LastPass or you’re bulking up on your brain’s memory capacity, use unusual combinaCons of lecers numbers and symbols to keep people out of your real life stuff and digital space.

Turn on 2-‐step idenCficaCon when you can in your social media plaRorms and your email.

Mostly, use common sense. If you feel like something is wrong or weird, be careful. If someone you’ve never met friends you on Facebook or tries to make a LinkedIn connecCon, just don’t accept. If they have a legiCmate reason for contacCng you, they’ll private message you and let you know.

For this class: •  Make a professional sounding handle for Wordpress (no funny

names like sk8erboi22) •  Be sensiCve about how you idenCfy yourself in our “About”

pages on your Wordpress blogs. Don’t include anything that makes you uncomfortable

•  Contact me if anyone approaches you via our class media that seems inappropriate

To sum up: use your best judgment and common sense. If someone you don’t know asks you for informaCon that could allow them access to your physical person, financial informaCon or your Pet Perks account, don’t let them have it. Nobody needs to know how many treats you buy Fluffy or your home address. If something seems “off” with a message you’re sent or a connecCon request, don’t reply. Don’t click on any links from people you don’t know and if someone you do know sends you weird links without any context, don’t click on them either.

If you need help figuring out anCvirus so`ware or just want some trusty and regular informaCon about phishing scams directed at CU and how to

protect yourself online, OIT has you covered.

Get in touch with them at their website: hcp://www.colorado.edu/oit/

Facebook: hcps://www.facebook.com/CUBoulderOIT

Twicer: hcps://twicer.com/CUBoulderOIT

Google+: hcps://plus.google.com/u/0/109536443530111999376/posts

Youtube: hcps://www.youtube.com/user/CUBoulderOIT

By phone: 304-‐735-‐4357

Email: [email protected]

If it’s all too much, you could delete yourself from the internet (aEer this class is over, of course): hcp://lifehacker.com/this-‐infographic-‐shows-‐you-‐how-‐to-‐delete-‐yourself-‐from-‐1536935719 We’ll miss you. The NSA is probably too busy to miss you, but they might. Who knows?

This presentaCon has been wricen for you by your instructor:

Allison Carr Waechter

All images were obtained through:

morgueFile