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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

 
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One Step Ahead: Almanac Security Tips - 2009

In each issue, Penn's Journal of Record, The Almanac publishes helpful tips and hints for dealing with information security and privacy matters. This page is a collection of all those published thus far.
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Table of Contents (most recent)

Tagged with SSNs , security , mobile devices

Most recently published...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 - Almanac Vol. 56, No. 10

You Can't Lose Data That You Don't Have

A few months ago, at a peer institution, a laptop containing names and Social Security numbers of 45,000 students, faculty and staff was stolen. This was not an isolated incident. More and more data breaches are occurring as a result of lost or stolen laptops. Data is also at risk when it is stored on an unsecured desktop.

The best way to avoid risks to sensitive data, to individuals, and to Penn is simply not to download sensitive data unless you absolutely must. Your Local Support Provider (LSP) can advise you on how you can instead store and access sensitive documents on properly secured departmental file servers. They should be used whenever possible to reduce the number of points of possible data vulnerability. If you must download sensitive data, contact your LSP for assistance in encrypting the file, securing your machine, and securely deleting the information once it is no longer necessary.

You Can't Lose Data That You Don't Have
Password Cracking: The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow
PennKey Opens Many Doors: Keep it Safe
Software Piracy
Collect Personal Documents and Computer Hard Drives for Free Shredding at the Employee Resource Fair
Don’t Use Excessive Privileges on Your Computer
Do You Google? Know How to Protect Your Privacy
Online Statements and Bill Payments: Safer Than Paper?
Updated Purchase Order Terms and Conditions Regarding Information Privacy & Security
Sanitize Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Docs Before Publishing
Exchange Sensitive Data Securely Using Secure Share
Facebook Sharing Can Be Broader than You Think: A Birthday Example
Managing Facebook's Privacy Settings for Safe Use
Be Careful with Facebook Apps
ID Theft: Are You Worrying About the Right Things?
What's the Half-life of an SSN?
Smart Steps When Accessing Your W-2 Online
IRS Warning: Tax Season Scams
Instant Messaging and Penn"s Jabber Service
E-mail Headers: Getting the Full Story
Reminder: Stay Vigilant About Identity Theft!
Credit Card Theft: "Skimming"
Avoid Phishing E-mails: Here's How
Beware of Phishing Scams Tied to Changes in the Financial Marketplace
Holiday Shopping, Credit Cards and Credit Reports: "Free" Isn't Always Free
Hackers and Identity Thieves Cash in On Current Events
A Reminder About Free Wireless Networks
Beyond Passwords: Strong Authentication
New Online Training: Information Privacy and Security at Penn
Filesharing Lawsuits: Not Just for Students Anymore
New List of Privacy and Security Resources
Several Types of Risks in Email
Don't Save Passwords In Browsers
Conducting an Online Survey? Be Sure You Know Who Can Access the Results
Computrace Best Practices
No E-mail from Penn Will Ask For Your Username/Password
Information Security and Privacy at Penn--2008 Year in Review
Legal Requests for Penns Electronic Records
Checking Out Hoaxes, Frauds and Spam for Yourself
Removing Your Name from Solicitation Mailing Lists
New Policy: Managing and Protecting PDA
Secure Deletion of Sensitive Information
SSN Policy Reminder–Comply, or Have Compliance Plan, by May 1, 2008
IRS Warning: Tax Season Scams
Converting SSN to PennID
Risks of End User Software Development
Strategies to Reduce Your Risk of Identity Theft
A Privacy-Sensitive Environment: A Little Awareness Goes a Long Way
Quality Assure: Who is Getting Your E-Mail
Cyberbullying–A Growing Threat to Your Children
Know What To Do if A Computer Security Incident Happens to You
Backing Up Data Regularly
Be Careful About “Free” Wireless Networks
Disappoint Dumpster Divers and Hackers -- Shred or Delete Unneeded Sensitive Data
Electronic Group Mailing Lists: Consider the Privacy Risks
Asking Your Web Browser to “Remember” You: A Dangerous Idea
Facebook, MySpace and YouTube Raise New Computer Security Risks
Is it Safe to Visit This Website?
The Right Thing to Do When You Think Something is Wrong
Password, Passwords Everywhere
Personalized Email Scams
Older Computers at Higher Risk for Security Breaches
Handling Documents and Data of Faculty and Staff Who Have Left Penn
“Phishing” and “Domain Tasting”
Working at Home and Other Remote Locations: Recognize the Data Privacy and Security Risks
Computer Worm’s Many Disguises
Website Privacy Statements
Your Life Online
Peer-to-Peer File-Sharing Software and Identity Theft
Legal Requirements for Penn Data
Bogus Warnings About Viruses and Spyware
Spoofed PennKey Sites Can Steal Your Password
SSN Cleanup Tools: Use Them and Protect the Penn Community
Cleaning Up Home Computers
Run A Security/Privacy Check On New and Ugraded Systems and Applications
When Is a PC File Truly Deleted?
Resetting Your PennKey Password
Securing Your Home Wireless Network
Want More Control Over Info? Look For Opportunities
Secure Web Browsing: Three Important Signs
Securing Data On Your Handheld Computer
Unprotected Computers Can Be "Stashes" For Illegal Material
New Back-IT-Up Service For Secure Backups
Wipe Cell Phones and Other Wireless Devices Securely Before Disposal
Student Records: Knowing the Basics
Phishing: eBay and Pay Pal
What Keeps You Up At Night?
Worried About Identity Theft? Ways To Monitor Your Credit Report
Security Patches/Updates: Usually Automatic, But Restart Weekly To Be Sure
Working From Home and the Data You Work With
Beware of Social Engineers
About Keystroke Loggers
Who Has Access To Systems?...Think About It!
Carelessness With Consequences
Find Out If Google Got Your Data - Before the Bad Guys Do
Keep Your Private Data from Showing Up On Google
The Panoptic Web
The Best Way to Protect Data Is Not to Have It
Security and Working At Home
Create Strong, Uncrackable Passwords to Foil Hackers
Your PennKey and All the Reasons to Keep It Private
Managing Passwords
Welcome back to One Step Ahead
Don’t Keep Email Around Too Long
Google Desktop: A Security and Privacy Risk
Laptop Theft
Do Not Download Sensitive Data Unless You Absolutely Have To
Spam Filtering
To Stay Secure, Keep Your Software Current
Don’t Save Passwords in Your Web Browser
Make Your Home Wireless Network Secure
Privacy of Student Records
Links Can Be Deceiving
Does Your E-mail Sometimes Smell "Phishy"?
Your Life Online
Remove Data Before Discarding Old Computers
How Secure Is Instant Messaging?
Privacy of Social Security Numbers
How Hackers Use Password Dictionaries
Beware of Dangerous Free Software
Has Your Document Sprung A Leak?
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