Multi-Factor Authentication - World Password Day

Now that you've learn how to create a secure password. Let's learn about more security techniques available to us. 

Hypothetically, let’s say a malicious actor manages to crack your safe and secure password. Wow! Sounds like it's game over, right? 

In theory, the hacker will now have access to your ESU account, important files and emails. Along with your personal information and the the ability to edit your account. Moreover, if you had access to other people’s personal information (by way of your job functions), the attacker will also be able to access that information!

But, what happens if you have Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) enabled? 

The hacker, who has your password, would now also need your second factor to actually log into your account. That just tipped the scales dramatically in your favor.  Even though your password is in the hand of the attacker, your second factor, usually a cell-phone application, is safe and sound. 

When the attackers try to log in, all they will get is a prompt for the 2nd factor, which they will not have. WIN for the Home Team!

So, while using MFA to log into your account adds an extra step, it is huge in keeping our information out of the wrong hands! It is why many companies are now moving to MFA, to secure accounts against fraud and identity theft.

ESU has begun deploying MFA to our campus staff and faculty and will continue to increase and improve our MFA options as the year progresses. As we do so, please remember that we are striving to keep your information out of the hands of all malicious actors that wish us harm.

Here are some things to remember regarding MFA options:

1. Always opt in for MFA for accounts where it is offered, especially those that contain personal or financial sensitive information.
   
   
2. When selecting an MFA option, we recommend using a smart-phone application (such as Microsoft Authenticator) as the most secure option.  These applications will typically allow you to enter a code or use a “push notification”. Both are secure, but the push notification is the most convenient as it asks you to verity that you just attempted to log in.
   
   Selecting the option 'yes' (or checkmark for some apps) and you are good to go.
   
   
3. If you use the text or call option instead, always remember to select a device or phone number that you will have access to when logging into your account.

Remember, a password without MFA is like a car without a seatbelt. Sure the car offers some protection, but if the worst happens, you will be glad you had that seatbelt on!

One Password, Slightly Used? - World Password Day

PASSWORD RE-USE:

Let’s say you have formulated the most perfect password that is possible to construct. It is easy to remember, a mile long, and has all the available character types. Now you’re set to use it for all of your accounts, right?

Not so fast. Even the most perfect password can be vulnerable to sophisticated attacks against the company that runs the servers that your account uses. In some recent high-profile cases, servers have been attacked and user account information siphoned out.  So even doing all the right things doesn’t mean a determined hacker can’t figure out what the password is (through no fault of your own).

Yikes! Now what? If this happens to you it could have serious consequences that you could not have avoided. But what if that perfect password that just got hacked is used for everything in your life?  All of a sudden, the attacker has access to EVERYTHING! Your social media accounts, your school accounts, even your bank account!

That is why we recommend you never “re-use” a password. If you have a separate password for each account, it won’t prevent a determined hacker from getting into one account, but it will prevent that same attacker from getting into everything.

But that’s a lot of passwords, right. “How am I going to remember all of those?!”

    1. As we covered in or last Daily Download, make your long passphrases something memorable. You can use that as a basis for a series of passphrases (a theme) and use significant variations on that theme (Remember, if they are too similar then it won’t be any better than using the same one for everything).

    2. Alternately, you can use a password manager. These are applications that can manage multiple account passwords for you. All you, then, have to remember is the one password for that application and it will do the rest. A Google search on “password manager” will give you a number of applications to choose from, each with their strengths, weaknesses, and prices (some are free). If you have questions, ask IT Security – we’ll be glad to help you decide on a suitable solution.

    3. Finally, avoid the temptation to allow your web-browser to remember your passwords. These are less secure than a password manager. Hackers may be able to “harvest” those passwords if you ever get malware on your computer (which is a whole topic for another time).  Besides being less secure, they only work when you are using that browser to access your accounts and they may forget all your passwords in certain circumstances.

Strength in Numbers (or Characters?!) - World Password Day

PASSWORD STRENGTH:

We all know the drill: enter a username and password to access your accounts. But are you aware that, in many cases, your password is the only thing standing between your important on-line accounts and a malicious actor trying to get in and steal your information, your identity, and your money?  That is why having an effective password is so important.

So, what constitutes an “effective” password?

Well, a password is “effective” if it keeps bad actors out. But to do that, you need to know what you are up against.  These bad actors have at their disposal many tools that try to defeat your password. One is a list of maybe the 10 million or so most common or previously hacked passwords, including popular variations of some of the more common. Adding a zero in place of the “o” in “password” will not be any more secure. They also use “dictionary” attack tools that look for actual words or variations of words (like the zero vs “o” above).  Finally, if those fail, they use tools to rapidly guess passwords one character at a time. So just using any a random collection of characters, if too short, will still allow the hacker to guess the password in a reasonable amount of time.

How do I have a strong password?

1.      Make it long – 14 or more characters. This dramatically slows down the character-at-a-time guessing technique. 

2.       Use a “pass-phrase” instead of a “password”.  String words and characters together in a way that is meaningful to you (and therefore easier to remember) but impossible to guess (hint: don’t use information about yourself that may be available on the internet).

3.       Include as many types of characters as you can. For examples, use lower and uppercase alphabetic characters, numbers, and special characters as allowed by the application or account. Some include minimum requirements to include, for example, 3 of the 4 types mentioned here.

Finally, if you discover that a password you currently use is on the weak side, change it!  Most sites and accounts will let you change your password whenever you like.

If you want to test your password to see if it has been used in a data breach, try haveibeenpwned.com. Their database consists of over 600,000,000 passwords that have been obtained from data breaches.  To test your password strength to see how long it would take a hacker to guess it, go on over to security.org.

Designing the Perfect Password - World Password Day

Are YOU still using that same password you created way back in day?

Pets Name? Kids’ names? Birthdates? Anniversaries? The word 'password'?     

Today those tactics no longer work. With data breaches at an all time high, we need to protect ourselves more than ever! Just a few small things can drastically help protect all your important online accounts. Here is a few you can try!

Create Robust Passwords: Make it difficult for Hackers to guess. Make your passwords contain at least 10 characters, have BOTH a capital and lower-case letter, and one or more symbols/numbers. (i.e., !@#$%^&*() 123456789). Use a “pass-phrase” instead of a password to make it longer and more memorable to you but even harder to guess.

Use Different Passwords: Make sure to use a different password for every account you have. If you use the same password for your personal e-mail, work e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, bank account, etc., and just one of those sites were to be compromised, the attacker would then have the “Golden Key” to all of your accounts. Do not make it that easy for them!

Always opt for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):  It is very important to make our data as secure as we can.  Having a second layer of security in place to protect us is never a bad thing! That way, even if your password is obtained by a bad actor, they still won’t have access to those accounts protected by a 2^nd factor.  Most companies now offer MFA or 2FA when you sign up for their services. When available always OPT IN! If you already have an account that is not protected by these, check back every so often. More and more companies are enabling these features.

Change your password every few weeks: The reason for changing your password on a regular basis is to protect you and your data from ongoing password attacks. With today’s hacking tools, guessing a simple password (a name, word, or common pattern) trivially easy. But even a good password can be guessed eventually, but it does take time.  Also, when hackers compromise an account, they may not always act right then and there, some continue to silently watch for as long as the password remains the same. When you change your password regularly it does not allow the hackers much time to act.

Do NOT Tell Anyone Your Password:  Your Passwords are Personal and Non-transferable. Do not give anyone the “Golden Key” to your information. Protect it like you would a safety deposit key!

May 6 is World Password day. We will post information and helpful tips all week, so watch for more information!

Fake Instagram Account Scamming Students Impersonating Union Activities Council

We have come across reports of fake Instagram accounts impersonating UAC (Union Activities Council) with the handles @uac_of_esu__ and @uac_of_essu.

These fake instagram accounts followed the followers of the original UAC account:  @uac_of_esu and sent messages and direct message like the one below containing malicious url. 

Please note that this is a scam.

If you fell victim to this scam and clicked on the links and/or provided your credit card details - please change your passwords immediately and also contact your credit card company to avoid fraudulent charges on your account.

Holiday Season, Holiday Scams

The holiday shopping season is here once more and that means the online scammers are out in full force threatening to be the coal in your proverbial stocking.  Here are a few things to look out for:

• We’ve been alerted that users are being targeted by phone calls—allegedly from companies like Apple or Amazon.  The automated caller may tell you there is a problem with a package or your account.  They will then direct you to either "press 1" or call another phone number to "resolve the problem".  This is a scam to get personal information from you.  Do not "press 1" or return the phone call.  If you suspect there may be a problem with Apple account or an Amazon purchase contact those service providers from their company web pages.

• Watch out for holiday shopping deals that are sent via email or text.  Never click on links in email unless you recognize the sender.  If you're shopping online, stick to places that you've purchased from previously or are reputable.

• Never, ever give out your social security number to retailers.  If you're asked for personal information in order to complete a purchase--walk away.

• Buy with credit cards--or better yet use services like PayPal and Apple Pay.  These provide an extra layer of protection when shopping online.  Avoid using debit cards, if possible.  Credit cards tend to have better fraud protection.

• Start the holiday season by making sure your computer, tablet, smartphone and any other Internet-connected devices are up to date with the latest software and that you're using strong passwords with all of your accounts.

• If you donate to charitable organizations, use extra caution this year.  Scammers are taking advantage of COVID-19 to send out fake charitable requests, often by email or text.  These can be indistinguishable from legitimate organizations--even using the appropriate charity's logo.  Unfortunately, these scammers don't just take your money, they also steal your identity, banking info, and SSN.  If you want to donate, visit the charity's website yourself--don't click on an email or text message.

Brian Osbourn
Director

Web and Digital Strategies

Two-Factor Authentication

Welcome back to campus, Hornets!

Today's topic will be about two-factor authentication, an amazing security feature that is becoming more prevalent in everyday life. Did you know that, according to this this linked article, 87% of those classified as 'Gen Z' reuse the same password? That means that well over half of the campus, more than likely, uses the same password for their school/work email account and their personal email account. Tisk tisk tisk. We always recommend altering your passwords for each account to decrease the likelihood of a breach, but this is where two-factor authentication comes into play to greatly increases your online security.

For example, I have set up two-factor authentication for my student email account with my mobile phone. Anytime I sign into my student email address from an unrecognized computer or device, I receive a prompt on my phone asking if that was truly me. I cannot access any emails, files, etc. if I do not tell my phone 'yes, that was me'. This means that even in the chance of an account breach, I would have an extra layer of protection. More importantly, this extra layer of protection is physically on me almost 24/7. This greatly decreases the chances of a breach, and increases the chances that my private emails and files are protected. This is extremely important for you if you take advantage of your G Suite account's unlimited Google Drive. Don't know how to set up two-factor authentication with your student email account? Follow this link to learn how to set up two-factor authentication and find more information.

Stay safe and good luck this semester!

Sam Derksen
Web Developer
Web and Digital Strategies

Cyber Security Month: Tips of the week

In honor of Cyber Security Awareness month, the IT department has been working to bring you helpful tips, tricks, and reminders to keep you and your personal information safe. Here, we take a more in-depth look at some of the tips we've provided.

1. Filter What You Post

Employers are looking into social media more and more everyday. Whatever you post today has the potential to affect your future career and reputation. Remember, there is no ‘Delete’ button on the Internet! Share with care, if a post or picture is deleted from your profile even seconds after posting it, chances are someone still saw it. Even the ever so popular "Finsta," short for "fake Instagram" is not a valid form of privacy. Followers of the account have the ability to screenshot posts, send your posts to other friends via direct message, or even just pulling up your account in person.

2. Update Your Privacy Settings


Set your privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Disable geotagging, which allows anyone to see where you are—and where you aren’t—at any given time. Geotagging can be used to collect your information for marketing, sales, and many other purposes. Many apps track your location in the background even when you're not using them!



3. Stay Away From Strangers

Connect only with people you trust! Most social networks are a journal of your personal information. They display your name, your friends, your likes and interests, locations you've been, and even workplaces and personal addresses. While some social networks might seem safer for connecting because of the limited personal information shared through them, keep your connections to people you know and trust.

4. Limit Personal Information

Because social networks display the information previously discussed, limit what information you post on social media. From personal addresses to where you like to grab coffee, most people treat their accounts like an autobiography. What you may not realize is that these details are all that criminals need to know to target you.



5. Speak up!

Speak up if you’re uncomfortable! If a friend posts something about you that makes you uncomfortable, let them know. Likewise, stay open-minded if a friend approaches you because something you’ve posted makes them uncomfortable. People have different tolerances for how much the world knows about them, and it is important to respect those differences. Don’t hesitate to report any instance of cyberbullying you see.

Tyler Parker
Social Media & Marketing Student Assistant 
Web & Digital Strategies

What is Your Digital New Year's Resolution?

Millions of Americans make new year's resolutions every year and you probably did too. Most of us think of things related to eating healthier, getting more exercise or saving more money. Something about one year ending and another beginning causes us to reflect on our habits and want to improve ourselves. While we usually consider life style choices, we seldom think about our information online and how we interact with technology every day. Some of us have vowed to cut down on screen time for our family but do we really think about protecting our online lives?


MarketWatch published an article in August 2018, reporting on a new Nielsen study that suggests American adults spend more than 11 hours per day watching, reading, listening to or interacting with media. With so much of our time spent in front of screens (probably more than we would ever think to exercise), it seems surprising that protecting our digital life is not one of the first things we think about.

Maybe it's time to rethink our New Year's Resolution this year and we have some suggestions for you!

• Since the majority of people don't stick to personal promises like vowing to exercise and saving more money, consider kicking of 2019 with one simple habit - follow the #UpdateMeow campaign on our Facebook and Twitter pages to receive regular reminders to update your software and devices. It doesn't take long, but will significantly enhance your security and user experience!
  

• Lock down your login! One of the most critical things you can do to prepare for a great year is creating unique passphrases for each online account paired with a second factor, such as a one-time code sent to your phone. Simple usernames and passwords are not enough to protect your important online accounts, especially email, banking, and health care. Learn more at lockdownyourlogin.org
  
  
•  Manage your privacy settings! Want to change your settings but can't find them? Visit staysafeonline.org and use the direct links listed there.
  Data Privacy Day is coming up on January 28, so stay tuned for details!
  

Are you ready for your Digital New Year's Resolution?

Stay safe online this holiday season!

The busy holiday season is in full swing and between choosing gifts, baking cookies and keeping track of holiday activities, time just seems to fly by!

In all the busyness and rush, it is important to remember that the online world is just as active - who else ordered most gifts online? Sadly, this is also the prime time for cyber criminals who take advantage of our distraction.

Here at ESU, we work diligently to put new technical safeguards in place but we have also learned that the best defense against cyber criminals is you! So how do you stay safe online this holiday season?

1. Lock down your login: Protect your online shopping, email, banking and other important online accounts. Create unique passphrases for each account and use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
2. Your information is like money. Value it. Protect it.: Monitor your financial accounts regularly and request a free credit report once a year. Learn more about identity theft prevention at identitytheft.gov.
3. Keep clean machines: Only download trusted apps, software, and updates. Make sure your devices are free of viruses and malware before you shop. Keep up-to-date and download ESU's free antivirus software here.
4. When in doubt, throw it out: Avoid links from unknown sources in emails, text messages, and on websites. Be especially cautious with emails about problems with your credit card or account or status of an online order. Report anything suspicious to the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@emporia.edu immediately.
5. Do your research: Be aware of scams and ads that sound too good to be true. The Federal Trade Commission publishes a list of scam alerts here. Before you shop, research the websites you are going to use. Read reviews and pay attention to other people's experiences with the company. Pay special attention to the URL of popular sites. For example, criminals may create a fraudulent site called www.shop-amazon.com instead of the legitimate www.amazon.com.

 Keep your friends safe and share the Cheer to Safe Cyber Shopping tip sheet! Happy holidays :)

National Computer Security Day!

November 30th is National Computer Security Day! Computer security is a vital step in protecting your accounts and information since your computer is typically your storage spot for everything. This is largely due to the fact that it's convenient and comfortable to you. Sometimes it being too comfortable leads to us not taking proper steps to ensure everything is secure. Therefore, the following are some quick tips on how you can secure your computer:

Have Antivirus Software

Start with running a scan for any form of spyware or malware. This will provide a fast and efficient way to make sure your device doesn't already have some form of malicious software harming it. If you don't have any installed and are a student or staff/faculty at Emporia State University, you can get a free copy of this software. To do so, simply go the help desk website and follow through downloading/set up.

Always Update

Next check to see if all of your applications and software's are updated. It's best to do this often, especially with apps, because of the constant updates being provided to you. This will allow you to find/schedule a time for your updates to complete on a regular basis. If they aren't updated, be sure to do this because updates tend to include better security or fixes to bugs. Overall, by updating your protecting and providing a better service to yourself.

Check Downloads

Finally, always check before completing a download. One way hackers target people is by inserting malicious software or viruses into downloads. These can be through emails, apps, or websites; therefore, new just assume because it's available to you it's safe. Always take a second to see who is providing the download to you and any suspicious signs. These signs could include misspellings, executable files (.exe, .bat, etc.), and the size of the download (too small or too big for what it should be).

Learn more by visiting hornet.emporia.edu and clicking on the "Information Security" tile. Finish the semester strong!

Cyber Shopping Tips!

With the holidays approaching fast it's important that we take the time to refresh our cyber skills. This is especially true with Black Friday and Cyber Monday being only a few days away. Each of these "holidays" are about taking advantage of great deals, but we need to make sure hackers aren't taking advantage of us while shopping. Here are a few quick tips for protecting your information while protecting your back account during this shopping season.

Check the Website

During this busy shopping season, it's important to check what sites your getting your deals on. Chances are you're clicking the sites with the best deals, but those might not be the safest ones to use. Always make sure you evaluate the reviews to make sure its a legitimate and safe site. One great source for authenticity is the Better-Business-Bureau. It will provide a rating and relevant reviews of the business.

Look for Https

One key step in making sure your information is safe when processing a payment is looking for https rather than http. Another way to check the security of a website is to look at the lock symbol to the left of your web address. If it is closed it is a secure site, if not be cautious about the information you put into the site. Since https is used when a site in secured and uses encryption to protect data, it is a protected site.

Watch for Scams 

Recently there has been news about a new form of phishing popular during the shopping season. This involves emails that appear to come from popular online shopping sites, like Amazon. They state that there has been an issue with your order and instructs you to click a provided link. This link takes you to a site designed to collect your information and then store it for the hackers use. Therefore, if you do have orders for that site go directly to the site to check the status of your orders.

Secure your Information

Finally, make sure your are taking steps to protect your information. This can be done through keeping complex passwords unique to each account. Make sure you don't save your login information to any device, since this can open your account to unwanted individuals. If possible limit what sites have access to your financial information, as this can protect you in cases of a breach. Simple checks and securities now can keep you from major issues later on.

Careers in Cyber-Security!

This week is National Cyber-security Career Awareness Week! Chances are you've never really considered a career in cyber-security since its a relatively new area. While many careers are clearly outlined and expected we're in a time of frequent data breaches, cyber-security is a continuously growing and evolving career field. This means that the amount of open positions and the demand for qualified applicants is incredibly large. So, its a great time to consider stepping into the cyber-security area.

Characteristics

What make you suited for a job in cyber-security? People who normally want to problem solve through thinking critically typically excel in the area. Now while you make think the issues are purely technical, this isn't true. The issues can be in anything from behavioral, legal, logistical, technical, and financial. All of these areas must be considered when analyzing cyber-security because all of them pay an integral part in the overall position. For example, you might think that behavior has nothing to do with cyber-security; however, you must take into account how users and hackers will use your programs with different intentions.

Benefits

One great thing about careers in cyber-security is the fact that they are constantly being added to make up for the growing need. They are also still developing a lot of the positions, which means that were is a level of excitement and unpredictability. It's not your typical office position where you'll have repeats of the same mundane day, there's always something going on somewhere in the world affecting you. Examples of this could be new technologies, changes in policies, or even breaches. 

Requirements

Now that that you're interested in the area, its important to know what you'll need to get into this field. The majority of these positions will ask for a bachelors degree with a major in cyber-security, information technology, or computer science. From there, it's recommended to complete some form of advanced training, typically a masters program or security clearances. However, some employers may only need a certificate to consider you for the position. To make sure you're on the right track look up potential companies you might be interested in and see what they require.

How Clean is Your Machine?

Many of us get caught up in our everyday tasks that we forget to take a second to make sure our devices are clean. Now I don't mean clean as brushing off the dust (which is still a good idea). Keeping a clean machine means updated, protected, and cleaned.

Update

While it seems like there is always so form of update coming out, they really do serve an important purpose. A lot of update include fixes for security issues or a new form of security. By not updating your devices you could be putting yourself in harms way. So, whether it's your phone, tablet, or computer take that minute to keep your software up to date.

Protect 

Always keep your passwords secure and unique. Chances are the password you've been using since freshman year of high school isn't as safe as it could be. Changing it to a pass phrase that includes special characters, numbers, and capitalization can be a great first step to protecting your accounts. Next, implement 2-factor authentication for your accounts. This will require you to prove that you're you, but it means that someone who isn't you can't access your information.

Clean

Finally go through your old documents or applications and get rid of what you don't use. A lot of apps require certain permissions that might not be relevant to the true purpose of the app. For example, a calculator app probably doesn't need access to your pictures or contacts. By clearing out unnecessary applications your taking one step further in securing your accounts and cleaning your machine.

Check-ups are for More Than Just Colds

When was the last time you had a check up? You've probably had a medical check up within the few months for something minor. Chances are when you read check up you assumed that's what I meant. But, when was the last time you did a security or privacy check up on social media? Check-ups are an important way to make sure everything is working properly and actions don't need to be taken, both physically and virtually.  Facebook in particular has a great check-up system in place to make sure your settings are what you are comfortable with. There are 3 areas in particular to be careful with on Facebook that the check up covers.

The first area is your privacy. This covers who can see your future posts and your previous posts. Knowing who has access to what you have on your account is vital. What you might show to your best friend is probably different from what you would show your coworkers or future employer.

The next area is your photos. Not every picture taken should be posted to everyone on social media. An easy way to limit who has access is to change your audience. This could be making it so only your friends or custom groups can see those unflattering pictures.

The third area is your profile. Depending on how you have your account set up, you could have a lot of information on your profile. Overall, what do you want the public and your friends seeing. This can also go a step farther with who can look you up or contact you on Facebook. Always make sure that you are comfortable with who it's available for.

Take the Facebook privacy check-up by clicking here!

Managing your Mobile Devices

Mobile devices are our connection to the world around us, so it makes sense that we would have a lot of information stored in them. The majority of the data stored in our devices, we wouldn't want just anybody having access to. So, it's important to know how to manage your mobile devices. Here's a couple quick areas you can focus on to ensure your mobile device is safe.

Storing

At the end of the day, you are the only one in charge of protecting your information. So, you need to make sure you have a strong front line of defense, also known as a passphrase. This means that not everyone can gain access to your device. Next, really think about what information certain apps need to function. There's pretty good logic that a calculator app shouldn't need access to your camera or contacts. So, why would you let it have access to that information? Finally, turn off your WiFi or Bluetooth if you aren't using it. While these can be incredibly helpful while in use, they can open your devices up to potential harm when not in use.

Connecting

Similar to the last point, always be careful about what WiFi or Bluetooth devices you connect with. If it's not a known and secure network others who manage or are on it can possibly watch what you are doing or get your information. Therefore, never access important accounts like your email or bank on a public network. A common way hackers target your information is through phishing, or using fraudulent messages that appear as real ones to get your information. So, if you don't know the sender or if the message doesn't seem right don't act on it, simply delete it.

Cleaning

Another way to protect the information on your mobile device is to only keep what you need. A lot of times you'll out something important in your phone and then forget it's there. So going through and deleting what you don't need anymore is important. This is also true about apps, many times we download an app just for a specific time like vacation and then we forget about it. Well, many apps request access to your information through contacts or pictures. Just because you stop using the app doesn't mean that it suddenly stops collecting that information. 

Managing Social Media for Young Professionals

In today's society, it's difficult to find someone who isn't involved in social media in some way. Social media is a great tool for connecting with others about what is going on in our day to day lives. However, many times we don't really think about the effect a simple post can have on our future careers. Employers are looking into how we act on our social media accounts, because it lets them know how you act outside the magnifying glass of interviews and applications. At this point in our lives our focus is on getting the career we've been working on, so make sure your social media past isn't interfering with it. 

Think First

Before clicking "post" on that hilarious meme or fantastic picture of how you spent your Saturday night, take a second to think. Who do you want to see that picture? Better yet, think about who you don't want to see the picture because once it's posted it can't be fully taken down. Think about how your online decisions can influence other's opinions of you. Always THINK: T - is it true? H - is it helpful? I - is it inspiring? N - is it necessary? K - is it kind?

Think Privacy

One way to protect yourself from potential problems is through privacy restrictions. This can be limiting what the public has access to through to show to only "friends". This is very common and a great way to start limiting what people can see. You also might have managers or colleagues on your social media accounts. While you might have a great working relationship, they probably don't need access to everything you post. Taking advantage of custom privacy settings is a great way to remain friends with coworkers and still have freedom to post. 

Think Branding

Social media accounts typically are an accurate depiction on our personalities and how we spend our time. That being said, how we represent ourselves through these accounts are vital. You want employers to see you as a competent individual that will be a great investment, not someone who could embarrass the business. Doing routine checks periodically of what other are posting about you is a great start. The next step would be removing any questionable content that could hurt you. Instead, focus on positive or career centered stories that show you are connected to more than just the latest hit on Netflix. Overall, you have to manage your own online identity.

Was Your Facebook Hacked?

Did you know that Facebook had a major breach on September 25th? Chances are you didn't know about the breach. The majority of the publicity around the breach was on social media's like Twitter rather than Facebook itself. However, Facebook came out and stated on last Friday that it would let those affected by the breach know. It's unclear how much information was provided to users, so I'm going to educate you on what happened, how to tell, and what to do.

What Happened?

Overall, Facebook is saying that the issue happened because of some vulnerabilities in their codes and software. While this is one issue, it has been found that there are 3 particular ways they gained access to the accounts. The first one targets those who use Facebook to log into other apps, like Spotify or Instagram. The second was through a program that allows for easy video-uploading for birthdays. The third weak point in Facebook was through the "View As" feature, ironically meant for better safety. While each is different, they added to the problem in a big way. The majority of the issue was caused by "digital keys" utilized in these actions to allow access. As the result the hackers tried to collect people's private information, but it's unclear what/how much was collected.

Have you been hacked?

The easy way to tell if your account was part of the breach was being logged out of your account last Friday. However, this can be difficult, according to Kate O'Flaherty at Forbes, because an additional 40 million accounts not hacked were logged out for additional safety. Facebook also stated that they would leave a notification for those affected at the top of their News Feed. If you have used any of the features mentioned, but are uncertain if you were included in the hack, it's best to assume you were and continue with the safety precautions.

What should you do now?

At this point the main focus is towards prevention in the future. Facebook has went in and "solved" the issues through shutting down the options until it can be completely secured. That leave the next steps to the end users. While not "necessary" according to Facebook, it's highly suggested that users change their passwords for their account and any similar passwords for any other accounts. You should also enable two-factor authentication found in the settings to increase your security. Next we suggest to log out of other apps or accounts that you're using through Facebook. To do this go into "apps and websites", then "logged in using Facebook". Overall, the issue has been handled, but it's best to be cautious anyway.