Cybersecurity Awareness Month: keep your devices secure

News | Posted on Friday 4 October 2024

As you begin to settle into student life, maybe you’re returning to York after summer vacation or maybe this is your first time at university, it’s important to make sure that any personal devices you use such as mobile phones or laptops are kept secure.

These devices are crucial for your academic success (as well as for those Netflix binges) but they are also prime targets for cyber threats as they often contain a large amount of your personal information.

Here are our top tips on keeping your devices secure:

Keep up to date with security updates. They fix vulnerabilities in hardware and software, helping to prevent malware and cyber attack. Updates can also improve the overall performance of your device and minimise downtime.
Make sure you have either a strong password or biometric access set up (your thumbprint or facial recognition). Read our advice on choosing a strong password.
Only use trusted wifi. They may be convenient but unsecured public wifi can expose your personal and sensitive information. Cybercriminals may also set up fake wifi hotspots to intercept data.
Check your connection to sensitive websites. If you’re entering personal or banking details into a website, make sure your connection is secure. A secure URL should begin with ‘https’ rather than ‘http,’ you can also look for a ‘lock’ icon near your browser’s location field