Wharton Computing - Security Guidelines
Last Modified on 07/08/2019 3:31 pm EDT
This article will provide some guidelines when it comes to account security & privacy. It is very important that your accounts are secure and strongly protected. Please take into consideration the following steps/advice to secure your data. For a detailed look at Wharton and Penn's systems and account policies, please see our article here.
Password Management
Having a strong and unique password is essential to account security, as your password is the front-line, and oftentimes only, defense against someone with malcontent. The strongest password is completely unique, random, and at least 15 characters.
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 1 year of 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.
Antivirus
A good antivirus software allows you the 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.
Please keep in mind, we've had issues with the following full antivirus software packages in the past:
Two-Step Authentication
Two-step authentication provides an additional layer of protection when accessing your account(s). After entering your password, you will be prompted via email or push notification (on a mobile device) to authorize the login.
To learn more and enroll in two-factor authentication, see our Two-Step Verification article.
Phishing
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.
Copyright/Student Conduct
Please be wary of the rules and policies associated with using the internet. The Office of Student Conduct is responsible and will act accordingly to suspicious behavior that a student does. Students should not file share or any activities similar to such on the AirPennNet 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.
Questions?
Faculty & PhD Students: Academic Distributed Representatives
Staff: Administrative Support
Students: Wharton Computing Student Support