This article will provide some guidelines to improve your account security & privacy. For a detailed look at Wharton and Penn's systems and account policies, please see our article here.
Having a strong and unique password is essential to account security, as your password is the front-line, and oft times only, defense against someone with malicous intent. The strongest password is completely unique, random, and at least 15 characters in length. At minimum, we recommend a password that has letters, numbers, and symbols. We also recommend using different passwords for different websites/services. You can see our article specific to Wharton account passwords here. However, we understand passwords like these are not easy to remember. Thus, Wharton offers students premium account access to a service called LastPass. This is an encrypted password manager that stores your account credentials for you. You will only need to remember the Master Password for the account. This will allow you to create & set very strong passwords while not having to remember all of them. To learn how to access this service, see this article here.
A good antivirus software allows you peace of mind when using your personal computer. Wharton Computing offers free virus protection software for both Windows and Mac users to help keep your devices safe from viruses and spyware. To learn more about this service, see our Antivirus article.
Two-step authentication provides an additional layer of protection when accessing your account(s). After entering your password, you will be prompted via a second channel (e.g.: email, text, push notification, or phone on a mobile device) to authorize the login.
We recommend you enable two-step (also known as "two-factor") authentication on any accounts that support it.To learn more and enroll in two-factor authentication for your Wharton accounts, see our Two-Step Verification article.
Always be wary of links that people send to you. Clicking on these links may leak information about yourself and expose your computer to viruses. To learn more about phishing, see our Phishing article.
If you think your account has been compromised, see our Compromised Account article to find out what to do.
Students should not openly share materials subject to copyright or license restrictions, or engage in similar activities on the PennNet network. Doing so may result in disciplinary sanctions and/or fines.
To learn more about the policies, see the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) website and File Sharing.
Faculty & PhD Students: Academic Distributed Representatives
Staff: Administrative Support
Students: Wharton Computing Student Support