Online security is critical during these extraordinary times

All of us are living in a very different and unexpected world due to the historic global pandemic. The pandemic not only changed our personal daily life and behaviors, but also our work life and routines.

Image of a thermometer with "Computer Security' printed at the top. Instead of numbers, it displays the words from top to bottom: Protected!, Antivirus, Firewall, Email Scan, and Passwords. The vertical red liquid scale display it is at the top next to Protected! indicating the com;uter is fully protected. Organizations, including UA Little Rock, provide sophisticated protection systems that are designed to mitigate all possible online security risks as much as possible. However, the new ‘pandemic lifestyle’ stripped away most of these protections as we began working remotely. Unfortunately, attackers have taken advantage of this unique circumstance and we have observed aggressive new methods of attacks as well as more complicated and advanced types of threats.

Now, more than ever, it is very important to be vigilant in practicing good online cybersecurity in both our personal and work related activities. 

In order to secure your work, information, and privacy, the following guidelines are recommended:

  • Always use and keep enabled the endpoint security solution provided by IT Services.
  • Try to minimize your use of open public WiFi networks.
  • Update your passwords periodically.
  • Lock your laptop or desktop when you leave them.
  • Lock your phone with a passcode, fingerprint, face recognition, or similar methods.
  • Enable the auto lock feature on your laptop, desktop, phone, and any other mobile devices.
  • Enable auto updates for all of your devices as well as the applications running on them.
  • Install all applications by using their official source or web page.
  • Install an endpoint security solution on mobile devices if possible.
  • If the device supports it, all the information should be encrypted.
  • If the device supports encryption, enable “Remote Wipe” and “Find My Device (Phone)” functionalities.
  • Try to not to store any UA Little Rock sensitive or business-critical data on your devices.

If you need assistance in securing your devices or have questions regarding online security, please contact IT Services.

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