Protecting yourself
Your Online Identity
Cybercrime is big business and a real danger to everyone who goes online: ask anyone who has ever had their identitiy stolen. There are things you can do to protect yourself.
If you use the same password for all websites or overshare on Facebook you will be a target for cybercriminals. Two important steps to keep yourself and your data safe online are:
- use strong passwords
- control your privacy settings
- choose whether or not to accept cookies
Browse this helpful advice:
Some good advice from the University of Sheffield:
Digital Footprints
Your Digital Footprint is the trail of data you create when using the internet. Each and every action you take online leaves a trace, and this builds up over time to create a unique online profile, which may not be as private as you think. In fact, it should probably be considered a "Digital Tattoo" - something more or less permanent.
This includes everything you visit including:- websites
- blogs
- photos
- comments on social media, and a lot more
Wherever possible, it is a good idea to go back through your profiles and posts and delete anything you don't want publicly accessible.
Remember that potential employers search online to find out about job candidates! Make sure they won't find anything you wouldn't want them to know.
Things to keep in mind when sharing information online, from the University of Derby:
For more information:
- Your Digital Footprint and Why You Need to Manage It
- How to Lock Down your Facebook Privacy Settings
- Social Media profile tool (AMIHIRED? ® by the University of Lincoln)
"One of the best things I learned was to keep my private life separate from my professional life (uni included). Lock down your social media!" Julia, 2nd-year student