Warrior Secure

C&IT is committed to keeping the Wayne State community safe online. Follow our tips for keeping yourself #WarriorSecure.

1. Phishing and spam email: Know the difference

Unwanted emails from unknown senders typically come in two forms—scam (phishing) and spam. It's important to know the difference and report malicious scam emails when necessary.

Scam Spam

Phishing emails or scam emails are targeted attempts to get your account and personal information.

  • If you receive an email like this, do not respond and report it immediately by forwarding it to abuse@wayne.edu.
  • Contact the C&IT Help Desk immediately if you are a victim of a phishing email.
  • If you provided money or your social security number, file a report with your local police department.

Spam emails are junk mail like bulk advertisements and newsletters that clog up your inbox.

  • These can come from businesses you have purchased from in the past or cold-call marketers.
  • Block them by using email filters and marking emails as spam.
  • You do not need to report spam emails

2. Password strength: Protect yourself

Passwords are our first line of defense against attacks. Use Wayne State's Strong Password Standard to protect yourself.

  1. Do not use the same password on all accounts. If your only password gets stolen, hackers have access to every account you use.
  2. Password length trumps password complexity. Use long, nonsensical phrases, which are easier to remember than complex characters and numbers. 
  3. If your AccessID password is 14 characters or longer, you won't need to change your password unless your account has been compromised.
  4. Use a password manager like LastPass to safely keep track of your accounts.
  5. Set up a recovery email address in case you forget your password.
  6. Many banks and credit card companies offer dark web monitoring. Check with your bank for more information.

3. Home security: Connect to campus securely

Wayne State employees can take steps to protect institutional data when working via a remote internet connection.

  • Avoid sharing computers with other family members, especially if you are an employee using a university-owned computer.
  • Enroll your devices in automatic updates to ensure they have the latest software to protect them from security problems.
  • Whenever working using public Wi-Fi, connect to the Wayne State VPN to protect your data.
  • Windows users can use Windows Security to identify any problems with their devices.

 

Addtional resources