7 Online Security and Privacy Tips for College Students

College-going students are always curious about life in general. They want to do things that their elders are doing on the internet.

But cybercriminals are always lurking around the corners looking for such vulnerable children who can easily give away their information to strangers.

Young students have zero ideas of what security and privacy tips to follow to stay secure and away from the grasp of cybercriminals.

So, this article is dedicated to teaching guardians what they need to pass on to their college-going children so that they use mobile and desktop devices wisely.

Let’s take a look:

7 security and privacy tips for college-going students

1. Create data backups

Data backups eliminate the reliance of students on their desktops to store data.

With appropriate backup systems, they can lose their important college files due to a malware injection or a soft drink spillage.

Whatever the case may be, data backups help keep their data secure.

Students can use cloud-based backup systems that allow them to access their data from anywhere. They don’t have to rely on a desktop to share files with their classmates and teachers.

Moreover, data hacks won’t worry them much as they have the required backups to continue working on their college assignments.

2. The knowledge of an SSL certificate

The knowledge of an SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate is utterly important for students to know.

An SSL certificate protects a website’s connection by encrypting data transferred between a website’s server and a web browser.

SSL also facilitates HTTPS or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure encryption, making it a mandatory requirement for every website that wants to secure itself from cybercrimes.

Without an SSL, hackers can easily see and steal sensitive information like credit card/debit card details, bank information, email addresses, phone numbers, etc., because data gets passed in a plain text format.

Students must know the difference between a insecure and secure websites.

However, the website should have an SSL certificate that activates HTTPS in the browser. SSL certificate can be for a single domain, subdomains or multi domains.

Students should ignore insecure or http websites as it may contain malware.

Students can check SSL certificate with a single click on a padlock either it is a single domain or wildcard or multi domain. A web developer should install SSL on base of number of domains for example, a cheap wildcard SSL can be an ideal cert to secure unlimited subdomains on other hand, a single domain SSL is enough to protect a single website.

3. Login with caution

As teens, we all enjoy looking at unique stuff. Many children use their computers to log in to suspicious sites that ask them to enter all their sensitive details.

It is best to educate them on different subjects to help them know what to surf on the internet.

Also, ask them to log in to their friend’s account with caution. Though OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon prime are safe to use, they ask you to enter your sensitive details to access them.

As a student, it is best not to add your credentials after logging in to your friend’s account.

4. Change the default passwords.

When students enter their colleges, multiple credentials are handed over to them. Post-COVID, the number has increased further due to the online shift in classes and curriculum.

But students must remember that default passwords are always not the most secure ones.

They need to change those passwords periodically so that no hacker can intercept them.

Also, much data is stored in individual student accounts, such as their address, guardian details, and phone numbers; if hackers can access them, they can be used for bad deeds.

5. Use an antivirus

As a guardian, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child uses their desktop in a protected way.

Students, in general, like to share computer games, files, music, photos, and data with each other.

If files are stored in your system without any scrutiny and scan, they can inject harmful malware.

Antiviruses can effectively ensure that all files get scanned before being allowed to make changes to the desktop.

Antiviruses quarantines suspicious files and disallow them to make any permanent change to the computer.

Thus, it is best to ensure that your child has an antivirus installed on their system.

6. Reduce your social media sharing

Social media has become a part of our daily lives. Children and adults like to share their everyday life on social media to stay connected with their companions.

However, we are not against social sharing but, given the state of cybercrime, it is best to check what you are sharing.

Ask your children not to share sensitive information like phone numbers, email addresses, and residential information with everyone they meet.

Even if they are entering such information to fill account details, it is best to set the view to private.

7. Don’t let others access your accounts.

We are not trying to say that your child’s friend will despise them. We want them to be on the safer side.

Accounts may contain sensitive information such as phone numbers and email addresses. If your child sharestheir account’s credentials with their friends, they are risking a data theft.

If their friend’s account gets hacked, the hacker has their credentials too. A hacker can use their information to sign up on unsolicited websites or send it on the dark web.

Thus, it is best to ask your child to keep their information private.

Final Thoughts

After reading all these security and privacy tips for college students, you must have understood the threats cybercriminals can pose for your loved one’s accounts online.

Students like to be present on all social media platforms; they want to connect with more people and share their data.

But, all these acts have their blowbacks too. If not done securely, social media presence can be the reason for a student’s profile getting hacked.

As guardians and teachers, it is our responsibility to protect college students from playing in the hands of cybercriminals.

Make sure that they are following the seven tips mentioned above while using the internet.