Physical security of devices
Don't leave your computer in an unsecured area, or unattended and logged on, especially in public places - including coffee shops and the public library. The physical security of your machine is just as important as its technical security. If you lose an MSU Denver-owned device, please contact the ITS Service Desk immediately.
Secure disposal of devices
When recycling or disposing of an old workstation, mobile phone, or external drive, it is important to ensure that no critical data remains on the hard drive or phone. Thieves will look in storage and trash removal areas to find anything that might be worth selling. Remove data in a manner that makes it impossible for anyone to retrieve it after disposal. If you need any MSU Denver-owned equipment disposed of securely, please contact the ITS Service Desk.
Manage your passwords
Keep your passwords up-to-date, and change them often. Never use a short or weak password. Consider using a password manager if you have a lot of passwords, or if you have trouble remembering them. See Choosing a Strong Password for more details.
Never share your login information
Never share your login details, for any system or application, with anyone. ITS will never ask for your password.
Know the dangers of using public charging stations
It is a good to keep all of your devices charged to make sure you can access your digital life anytime, and more places like MSU Denver are offering free public mobile device charging stations. However, just like free unsecured WiFi networks, there are dangers with public chargers, because modern hacking trends are getting more advanced and are employed in various places like ATMs and now public charging stations. Anyone can hide a small chip that will infect devices as it charges them. The best way to protect yourself is to always use your own USB charger or use USB cables that block data transfers. These 'charge only' USB cables look exactly like any other USB cable except they prevent your device from going into 'data transfer' mode when connected to a computer, thus preventing data theft / viruses when charging from an unknown USB socket.
Use the MSUDenver WiFi network whenever on campus
Using the MSUDenver WiFi network is more secure than using free unsecured WiFi networks that do not require passwords. This is because your data is encrypted when it's transferred over the MSUDenver WiFi signal. See What are MSU Denver's Wi-Fi networks? to learn how to connect to this network with various devices.