The Facts: Personal, financial, and intellectual information have increasingly been digitized and stored on our electronic devices. This digitization of this information provides easy access for its owner and, in some cases, those who do not own it.
Our Opinion: Deep into the digital age students still leave their information unsecured. Students should make every effort to password protect any information they deem important.
A researcher for N.C . State recently failed to remove sensitive information pertaining to 1,800 elementary school students. This is not the first breach in information security this year. In the past year, Sony, the FBI, and FOX have all had lapses in their security and information was released pertaining to their customers and their employees. As scary as it is, there’s nothing you can do about these security lapses. These lapses are out of your control; however, there are security vulnerabilities that students subject themselves to on a daily basis that are within their control.
In the pursuit of wireless Internet access many of us link our Internet connections to a wireless router. Routers can be beneficial as they allow the transmission of data throughout its range; however, if left unsecured, they can prove damaging. A router that offers access without password protection allows anyone within the signal’s range to access not only the router’s Internet connection but also the computers linked to the router, enabling access to files on those linked. Not securing your router is almost as bad as not securing your computer at all.
Our computers house our lives. Our computers contain our schedules, thoughts, memories, and hold the passwords that grant access to the rest of the world. It is quite surprising then to find people who still do not require a password for access to their computer. The threat of this lapse in judgment is not confined simply to your roommate changing your Facebook status to something profane; it’s a real threat to your security, both intellectual and personal. It only takes one person with the fortitude to steal your computer for you to lose everything, and if you have ever had a bike on campus, then you are aware this character trait is abundant.
Unprotected cell phones present a similar threat to unprotected computers. As the capabilities of cell phones increases so too does the amount of personal information that is put on them. Smart phone users can link their emails, Facebook, and bank accounts to their phones. Even on the most basic phones hold personal details as conveyed through text messages, call logs, and voicemails.
Protecting a cell phone is as easy as programming in a four-digit password. It may seem inconvenient, having to enter in a password every time phone access is desired; however, it is worth the piece of mind that it provides if the phone is lost.
There is a simple rule of thumb for information security in this digital age: any device that allows for password protection should be password protected. Make the extra effort and protect your information whenever possible, it is a simple act that offers piece of mind.
