Cybersecurity Tips

SOCIAL NETWORKING is cool and entertaining. You can stay in touch with friends and family and meet new acquaintances. It’s all about connecting with friends in CyberSpace. The University of Central Oklahoma does not discourage students’ participation in on-line communities. UCO does, however, encourage you to be safe. When posting:

  • THINK.
  • ACT RESPONSIBLY.
  • PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS.
Students are well aware of the advantages of social networking. Students also are aware of the potential danger in on-line communities. Here are some reminders to ensure your experience is positive:

NEVER ASSUME the information you post is secure or private.

NEVER ASSUME the information others post is honest. ‘nuf said.

NEVER SHARE PASSWORDS. Use different user names and passwords for each group or account.

PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE information comes in all forms. Predators engage you by finding out what is important to you and then using you as a “support,” “mentor,” or friend. Religion is a big topic predators use to reel you in.

BE AWARE. If someone really wants to find out about you, they can. Predators are adept in mining and combining information to create your profile. For example: You post that you and your Broncho (this is a giveaway!) friends spent Saturday evening in Bricktown. You’ve said, I go to school at UCO and like to party in Oklahoma City.

FILL-IN-THE-BLANKS allow predators to pick up credit card information, address, e-mail, telephone, and passwords.

MEET on-line friends in person cautiously if you must, but never go alone. Take a trusted friend with you and meet only in public places. Never leave alone with your new acquaintance. (UCO discourages students from meeting face-to-face with others who were met on-line.)

LIMIT who can see your information.

LIMIT directory information. Use an e-mail address or screen name. Don’t give your name, address, telephone number on-line.

RESPOND only to solicited messages.

CAREFULLY REVIEW and understand any and all Agreements, Usage terms, Statements of privacy and security before clicking “I Agree”.

BE DISCERNING. On-line content is becoming more sophisticated and targeted, making it difficult to distinguish between content and advertising.

POST PICTURES of groups rather than individuals, and leave off the names.

ONLY POST WHAT YOU WOULD WANT YOUR GRANDMOTHER TO SEE. Keep in mind that information you post and make available is out there for the world to see. Faculty, administrators, parents, even prospective employers can see your stuff.

JARGON
[TERMINOLOGY, DEFINITIONS]

SOCIAL NETWORKING. Using electronic means to communicate and to interact. Most often social networking refers to on-line communities such as Facebook, Xanga, Friendster, Hi5, MySpace, Tagged, and others.

BLOG. Short for “web log.” Refers to an on-line journal on which the author allows others to post comments. Examples include LiveJournal, Wikipedia, and others. A directory of blogs categorized by topics of interest may be found at http://www.blogarama.com.

SOCIAL INFLUENCING. Much the same as “peer pressure” or “group think,” social influencing refers to the ability to influence or be influenced by others using electronic means. Social influencing can be positive or negative. A participant in an on-line community will want to be cognitive of the decision s/he is making, ensuring the conclusions being drawn are his/her own.

PREDATOR. In an on-line context, a predator uses social influencing, grooming, social engineering, and advanced search techniques to learn about a target (victim) in an effort to convince him/her to meet F2F (face-to-face). Predators generally are not getting to know you for your benefit. Another term for predator is on-line stalker.

GROOMING. A term used by law enforcement in explaining the way a predator uses electronic sources and on-line communities to influence a person to meet him/her F2F.

VIRAL MARKETING. Word of mouth, usually through on-line communities.

PASSWORD. A collection of letters, numbers, and/or symbols designed by a person who wants to access on-line resources. Passwords are combined with a user name to create a unique entry to the on-line resource. Passwords are not displayed on the screen but may be retrieved when a system is compromised with techniques such as keystroke detectors. Another term for a password is PIN (personal identification number). Passwords and PINs should not be told nor shared. Use different password/user name combinations for each site you access.

http://www.staysafeonline.org/index.html

State of Oklahoma Monthly Cyber Security Tips Newsletter
provided by the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security

Page last updated 05/09/2008 16:58:36.