Cybersecurity Tips Every Student Should Know

Students today use the internet for many different purposes, including research for school work and entertainment. One study showed that 73% of students use the internet more than the library for research. And not only that, but 72% of students check their emails every day.

But even as you do your homework, research projects, shop online or play video games, it’s essential to keep yourself safe from malicious sites, software, and cybercriminals.

Cybercriminals know that students are always online. And because of this, they make many attempts to illegally gain access to your online accounts to steal your data or finances. One survey showed that the education sector experienced a 44% increase in cyber attacks in 2022.

Should they gain access to your sensitive information, it could lead to identity theft, financial losses, and even legal issues. In 2022, the FBI received more than 10,000 complaints from students who were victims of cybercrime. On average, each student experienced a loss of $2,000.

All these factors underline the importance of prioritizing cybersecurity, especially as a student. Whether in elementary school, high school, or college, here are some of the top cybersecurity tips every student should know about.

Cybersecurity Tips That Every Student Should Know

Teach Yourself About Online Threats Such as Malware and Phishing Scams

The best way to stay safe in cybersecurity is to educate yourself about online threats. After all, you can’t fight an enemy you don’t know or fully understand. Let’s go through some of the most common threats that students face.

There are plenty of online threats, including malware and phishing scams:

Phishing scams – these are messages or emails designed to trick people into giving their personal information. These scams come in the form of elaborately crafted messages, emails, or websites that are from trustworthy sources.

They trick you into lowering your guard to give them your bank details, login details, addresses, or other personal information.

Phishing scams account for the most common cyberattacks that students and employed people face. Not only that, but these attacks are rapidly increasing every year. According to CNBC News, there has been a 61% increase in phishing attacks from 2021.

Malware attacks: As the name suggests, malware attacks involve worms, spyware, or viruses that cybercriminals use to hack electronic devices such as phones and computers.

You might have already heard about viruses and bugs you can get when downloading content or clicking on wrong links.

However, these attacks can be severe as spyware and viruses can be used to track you down, steal your information, record everything that you do on your device, and put you at risk of identity theft.

Now that you have a rough idea of some of the threats that you face as a student let’s look at the best practices that you can do to safeguard your safety and security.

Be Very Cautious About The Links That You Click On

You might get a link from your WhatsApp group chats or from random people in your emails. Whatever the case, be extremely cautious about the links that you click on. Cybercriminals often use deceptive tactics, including malicious links, to lure students into clicking them.

This can have damaging consequences as you could download spyware, malware, or viruses without knowing it. Scammers might also try to trick you into giving your personal information, including your social security numbers, credit card details, or address.

Here’s what you should do when you get a link:

Verify the source: Before you click on any link, take a few more seconds to validate the source. Look closely at the sender’s email or message. Sometimes your friends might send you malicious links in a message without their knowledge. If it’s an email, they might try to imitate legitimate organizations and sources. Regardless, take a few seconds to evaluate the link.
Hover to Preview: Most email service providers like Google offer a ‘hover to preview’ feature that allows you to hover your mouse over a link to get more details without clicking on it. Doing so will reveal the URL destination; if it seems suspicious, avoid clicking on it.
Avoid Unsolicited Emails and Messages: Unsolicited emails and messages refer to those emails or messages you receive from unknown senders or people you don’t know. Hackers typically use these types of messages to send malicious links or spyware.
Don’t trust pop-up ads: Although some website pop-ups are harmless, most redirect you to malicious websites or download links with sinister malware.
Be extremely cautious with attachments: It’s very likely that emails that you receive from unknown or suspicious senders contain links that download malware or viruses.

Don’t Overshare, Especially on Public Forums or Social Media

Social media, public forums, and community pages are great and convenient platforms for connecting with people with similar interests and opinions. However, even as you interact with others online, it’s essential to practice caution when sharing information, especially concerning personal details.

While sharing experiences, educational information, and updates on these platforms is natural, there’s always the risk of oversharing. Doing so exposes you to the risk of identity theft, scams, fraud, geolocation tracking, cyberbullying, and other data breaches.

While on social media, public forums, or community pages, avoid sharing the following information:

Personal information, including your full name, phone number, social security numbers, bank details, or any financial information
Your real-time location
Your passwords or account details
Your travel plans

Consider Antivirus Software or Internet Security for Your Devices

As a student, you’ll need to install antivirus software, anti-phishing software, or internet security for your devices. Fortunately, most software solutions these days come packed with all these features in one place. Do your research and find out which solution works best for you.

Set the app to update all your apps automatically and run virus scans frequently. Invest in script-blocking or ad-blocking browser plugins because malware today is increasingly becoming more sophisticated and can sometimes bypass detection by antivirus.

Backup All Your Data

Backing up your data is a great way to avoid document corruption or loss in the event of a successful ransomware or malware attack. As a student, it’s very likely that you have tons of important documents, including academic research projects, homework, and other essential documents.

Backing up these documents is a great way to avoid loss while limiting storage in one place. The most common way to backup files is through the cloud. But you can also use a physical storage device like an external or flash drive.

Be Very Cautious When Using Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi networks are convenient as they are accessible in most places, including libraries, airports, coffee shops, and college campuses. They are also free, which makes them even more appealing, especially for students.

However, using a public Wi-Fi network comes with its own set of risks as these networks lack the proper encryption that facilitates secure internet connection. This makes it easy for cybercriminals to intercept such networks and steal your personal information.

For these reasons, you should be cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks. Here are some tips to keep in mind when using such networks:

Use a VPN: If you’re going to use a public Wi-Fi network, consider using a reputable VPN as well. Top VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN are great tools that enhance online security as they mask your IP address and encrypt your internet connection. This makes it highly challenging for cybercriminals to intercept your connection and steal your personal information.
Avoid making online transactions while using public Wi-Fi networks: It would be best to do your financial transactions once you’re on a secure network. Avoid performing any kind of transaction while using unsecured public networks.
Logout after browsing: Once you’re done using the network, consider logging out of all the accounts you used. They could be your email, school, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, or Facebook accounts. Log out of all these accounts, clear the web browser history, and clear the cache and cookies.
Disable automatic connections to public Wi-Fi networks: Wi-Fi networks connect automatically once you connect to the networks once. However, this is risky, and instead, opt out of this setting to avoid connecting to such networks in the future. Also, avoid saving passwords for public Wi-Fi networks.

Update Your Passwords to Make Them Stronger

Speaking of passwords, it might be a good idea to visit the passwords of your online accounts to evaluate their strength. Passwords are the first line of protection in cybersecurity. This is why it’s not a good idea to use your pet’s name, relative’s name, your childhood street name, or any other information related to you as your password.

This makes it easier for hackers to guess your passwords and crack your online accounts. Instead, consider using a strong password that features special characters ($%*!@), numbers, and a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.

If you find this a challenge to do, consider using a password generator or a password manager to help you. Password managers generate strong passwords, and store these passwords safely so that you don’t have to keep remembering them every time you log in to an account.

When looking for a password manager, consider one that has the following features:

It’s secure: Ensure that the password manager you use is reputable, secure and that passwords are encrypted. Also, ensure that it has multi-factor authentication, which is a fancy way of saying added security measures on top of the standard password.
It’s easy to use: The password manager that you choose should be easy to use. For instance, it should automatically fill in your login details when you want to log in to a given account.
It’s convenient to use: Make sure that your preferred password manager makes it easy to access your passwords across all your devices.

Make Sure Your Software is Up to Date

Software updates come loaded with performance-boosting features and security updates. Out-of-date software can leave you at risk of cyberattacks. This is why it’s important to keep all your devices updated with the latest software patches. Go to your device’s settings to confirm whether all your software is set to update automatically.

Be Cautious When Using Your School’s Computer Systems

School computers are great as they allow you to do your school work efficiently while at school. They are designed to support your education. However, they are not exactly foolproof as they are also vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

This is why it’s always a great idea to practice caution when using these computers. When using school computers, keep this in mind:

Use secure login details, including strong and unique passwords for your school accounts
Always remember to log out of all your accounts after you’re done using the computers
Avoid using any installed software that you don’t know about or is unauthorized
Avoid using USB drives and external devices, as school computers are notorious for viruses and malware.

Avoid Downloading Content From Unsafe or Untrusted Sites

Some sites help students download content for free or heavily discounted prizes. You can find games, software, and other content for throw-away prizes on such sites. But to maintain a secure online experience, you should avoid these sites, as downloading content from them leaves you vulnerable to viruses, malware, and other cybersecurity risks.

If you must use these websites, consider installing antivirus software to detect malware and block it before you can download it and it infects your system.

Avoid Jailbreaking Your Devices

Jailbreaking is popular among tech enthusiasts who want to access the ‘root’ of their device, to lift certain restrictions and enhance the experience of their device. This is common among Android users and video game enthusiasts.

However, when you jailbreak your device, you also disable the manufacturer’s and operating system’s protections. This effectively reduces the security of your devices, exposing you to malware and phishing attacks.

It also puts you at an increased risk of hacking attempts as your device is more susceptible to cyber-attacks. For these reasons, it’s best to avoid jailbreaking any of your devices.

Conclusion

Prioritizing online security is a great way to stay safe from cyber attacks. And since students are always online, it’s only right to prioritize cybersecurity and keep learning about the threats that we face when using the internet to avoid costly and irreparable damages.

Some of the best cybersecurity tips that every student should know about include using a VPN, being cautious with all links or attachments, using antivirus software, using a multi-factor authentication system, and keeping all your devices up to date. By following these steps you can protect your privacy and data from cybercriminals.