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Safer Computing Guides
Reports of security breaches, personal information leaks, and identity theft surface daily. The USF community is encouraged to follow these common guidelines for protecting your personal information online.
- LIMIT the amount of personal information you post online.
- Use separate email addresses for recreational sites (such as myspace or online shopping) than you use for banking, financial, or job search sites.
- NEVER disclose sensitive information such as your Social Security number, drivers license number, bank account information over email or on websites, unless you can establish that the business need is legitimate. Reputable companies will normally NEVER ask for this type of information over email.
- TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! If a message or information request online seems "fishy" or makes you uneasy, then do not respond or complete it! Instead, contact the company directly via their verfied contact numbers or addresses to initiate business. Most reputable companies will have several alternate methods for doing business, or verifying messages.
- BE a difficult customer! When asked for personal information, ask why it's needed and how it's protected!
Avoiding SPAM Mail
SPAM mail is unwanted advertisements and "junk" broadcast messages sent over email. Like junk postal mail and telemarketing, "spam" mail is an annoying reality for e-mail users. Refer to this article for some ways to avoid unwanted email.
Beware of Phishing
Phishing is a type of email scam where the sender is attempting to "fish" for personal or financial information from the recipient. BEWARE of any email asking for your personal information! Most reputable businesses will NEVER ask for personal info over email.