Students

• For general tips on setting up a personally owned system, see the sites below:
  • Configuring a Personally Owned PC
  • Configuring a Personally Owned Mac
• Be sure to install and update anti-virus software.
• Update operating system and applications regularly by patching.
• Back up files on your computer either to an external drive or to the cloud.
• Only use flash drives that you know has a trusted source; e.g. buying one at Burdell’s or B&N @ GT.
• Connect to GT VPN when you’re on a public network or one you don’t trust. Be wary of 3rd party VPN applications.
• Disable automatic connections to unknown wireless networks and turn off Bluetooth when not in use.
• Remove old saved wireless network connections.

• Georgia Tech email is housed on Office 365. Your campus email account should be used to communicate between yourself and other Georgia Tech users on campus.
• We recommend other ways to send sensitive information instead of direct email. For example, share links to where you’re storing your data in the cloud instead of sending sensitive data in attachments.
• Keep a look out for Phishing attempts
  • Be sure to check the message details when you receive emails.
  • Look for typos in a message from a sender that appears official.
  • Avoid opening attachments if they seem suspicious.
  • Hover over (but don’t click) hyperlinks to make sure the destination address matches the text.
  • If anything asks you for a login and everything else seems okay, try going to the official site via a web browser instead and confirm what’s being asked.
  • If you receive a message which you suspect may be a phishing attack, please forward the message as an attachment to: phishing@gatech.edu

Links:

• How to Avoid Being Phished
• Report Phishing
• Georgia Tech Protected Data Practices

• Assign at least a 6-digit pin, fingerprint authentication, and/or facial recognition to unlock your phone.
• Enable services to locate lost or stolen devices.
• Limit the information that apps are allowed to access; e.g. location, address book.
• Disable automatic connections to unknown wireless networks and remove old wireless network connections.

• When in doubt, don’t visit a web page of which you are unsure if it is legitimate or safe.
• If you’re asked to enter sensitive personal information or payment information, confirm you are on the correct webpage and it is not a spoofed website. Be especially vigilant if it was a link in an email or electronic message
• Review browser security settings and consider using a popup blocker extension.

Should you have a personal cybersecurity incident occur, please refer to the Personal Compromise Guidelines page for some tips on how to respond.

If you are the victim of identity theft or bank account compromise please follow the steps outlined by the FTC.  In short, notify the bank, place a credit freeze, report to the FTC, and file a police report.  Additionally, as above if you suspect your password was used change your password and any site where you re-used that password.
Please see the Georgia Tech Identity Theft Prevention Policy for further details on Georgia Tech’s Identity Theft Prevention Program.

As a reminder, if your incident involves your Georgia Tech account or Georgia Tech data, please instead refer to the Contact Us page for details on reporting such an incident.

If you believe your system has been infected with malware:

• For a personal machine, disconnect from network connections and remove the malware in question. Should you need assistance, with another device navigate to https://techsupport.gatech.edu to contact Enterprise IT Support for help.
• For a GT Issued Machine, contact the IT staff responsible for issuing the machine for assistance. 

Your username and password help to keep your data and devices safe. Use the guidelines on the Securing your Password page as well as the guidelines below to assist you with protecting your credentials.

• Use a password manager application so that you will only have to remember one password and can have a unique complex long password for every website. Also, consider randomizing your passwords and using the password manager to enter your passwords on webpages.
• Never use the same password on multiple sites. A password manager will help you achieve this securely.
• Avoid passwords based on a dictionary word or something about you. A password manager will help you achieve this securely.
• Do not reveal something in a password hint that tells someone else your password; e.g. “Mom’s name”. A password manager will help you achieve this securely.
• Be sure to activate Multi-Factor Authentication on any site that has it available.
• Never store your password in plaintext anywhere, like in a Word Document or Excel Spreadsheet.

Links

• Tips to Secure Your Password
• Georgia Tech Password Policy

Sharing copyrighted works can be a contentious subject.  The subject of using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) has been widely debated in the news, law-making bodies, and in our community.  While using P2P technologies to obtain legally available content is accepted and encouraged, we would like to remind our users that Georgia Tech and Georgia Tech users are obligated to follow and obey the laws surrounding the use and distribution of copyrighted works.  Downloading or distributing copyrighted works without permission from the copyright owner is against the law and a violation of the Georgia Tech Cyber Security Policy.

When Cyber Security receives a copyright infringement complaint, the Copyright Infringement Complaint Response Procedures outlines our response.

• As a rule of thumb, assume anything you post could be seen by the world.
• Do not post your whereabouts.
• Be sure to look at your profile without logging in to see what others would see.
• Adjust your privacy settings to align with what you’re most comfortable with sharing

• When traveling, be sure to take extra precautions with your electronic devices and data
  • Strive to never leave your device unattended.
  • If you do have to leave your device unattended, be sure it is encrypted and locked as possible.
• Consider using GT VPN on networks you don’t trust.
• Avoid storing sensitive information directly on your devices.