Pro Tips: Staying Safe & Secure

General Cybersecurity

Some general tips for online safety:

• Always use two-factor authentication, or 2FA, when available (SMS/text codes, authentication code apps, biometrics, or passkeys). This provides an additional, relatively painless layer of security.
• Use passwords (or better yet, passphrases) that are both strong and unique to each site -- never reuse passwords!
• Put a passcode on any device that allows it, especially easily-misplaced things like watches and phones. The old 4-digit codes are no longer sufficient. Where possible, codes should be a minimum of 6 characters, and the longer the better.
• Don't do anything involving money, including shopping and banking, while using public Wi-Fi (any Wi-Fi network that isn't owned by you, or a friend/family member. This includes both unsecured (password-free) networks and ones at places like coffee shops with a readily-available password.
• Try to only use your Davidson email account for things related to school. Use a personal, non-Davidson address for shopping, making service accounts, and similar. This cuts down on risks to our system security.

As always, if you have questions or concerns about any of the information in this book, please contact ti@davidson.edu.