Phishing and email scams are a growing issue among an increasingly online community of students. With scams becoming more sophisticated and some targeting college students directly, it is important for students to be aware of the threat of privacy breaches and cybersecurity. Bebe Vanek, the information privacy administrator for the IT desk at the University of Utah, clarified the importance of data awareness online.
“One of the biggest risks to a students’ online privacy is a phishing scam or malware downloaded by accident,” Vanek said. “Phishing scams look more sophisticated ever before and it’s easy to click an embedded link and give access to a malicious actor without realizing. Always use the university’s IT support if you are suspicious of a link or email.”
Though being wary of links in texts and emails can help minimize the risk of falling for phishing scams, it’s never guaranteed. Braeden Riley, an operations and supply chains major, has built several custom web apps and servers. He talked about when he fell for a phishing scam.
“If you saw online, the news was reporting that there were a lot of those toll phishing scams,” Riley says. “So we were on this trip together and they sent me the link to pay. They’re like can you help me out, and so I got duped by a friend who also got duped.”
Riley said he was able to mitigate the financial harm of this scam by being vigilante and hesitant of instructions given to him.
“I put my debit card information in there, and then it intentionally went your card didn’t work, so I put a different one in there,” Riley said. “And then I was like, wait a second, and I looked it up and it was a phishing scam.”
One area of cybersecurity that can be overlooked is data tracking. A common way data is tracked are through cookies, which are small text files that attach to online users’ activity to build a profile of preferences for that individual. This information can then be sold and used to curate ads targeted at the individual’s interests.
Vanek explained what to look for when accepting cookies on a website.
“Common terms to evaluate are what personal information is being collected by the app or service, and how that personal information is going to be used, shared, or sold, after it is collected,” she said. “Pay attention to acceptable use, or any exclusions in the company’s notices, and how that might shift the responsibility to the user for settings or types of use and might eliminate or limit liability.”
One way to minimize how much of your data tracked is online is by using pop up blockers. Vanek recommended Privacy Badger.
Jazmin Bravo, a grad student working at the Marriott Library, discussed her own strategies for minimizing the risk of a data breach.
“I’ve never been hacked before, thankfully,” Bravo said. “I use password managers while also ensuring I create unique passwords for my accounts.”
Another common scam that students can specifically fall into is using free download links online. These links can introduce virus software onto devices that can expose personal or university data if the threat gains access to such accounts. Students should be vigilant and report suspicious links or emails to the University of Utah’s IT support page.
