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These cybersecurity best practices can help to keep you safe

Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues: Use strong passwords 

As Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) would like to encourage all OHIO students, faculty and staff to use strong passwords. Passwords are a line of defense between your data and the outside world. Much like locking your door before leaving home, a strong password is vital for keeping your sensitive and personal data out of the hands of cybercriminals.

With an ever-increasing landscape of online accounts, the average internet user might have more than 100 digital accounts. It can be tempting to re-use account credentials or make simple, easy to remember passwords. However, this can expose your account to attackers.  

To help keep our community safe, OIT has put together a variety of password resources, including tips for creating strong passwords, safe password practices and information about LastPass, the University password manager tool.

OIT also encourages all faculty and staff to complete the Online IT Security training, if they have not done so already. University departments that have the highest rate of completion at the end of October will be recognized as Cybersecurity Champions and the winning department will receive a cookie party courtesy of the Information Security Office.

If you want to learn more about cybersecurity, be sure to consider attending OIT’s free Cybersecurity Awareness Conference on Oct. 30 and 31 and watch for more cybersecurity best practices throughout the rest of October.

Published
October 12, 2023
Author
Staff reports