Working Remotely
If you have the ability to work remotely, please consider the following to protect your home network, your personal information, and university data.
When working from home:
- Change the default administrator password on your router to a strong and unique passphrase. This passphrase does not have to be complex—a passphrase that is easy to remember but has many characters, including spaces, is strong protection against hackers. For example, a passphrase such as “I love tacos!” or “Tigers and lions and bears, oh my!” provides strong protection.
- Be aware of who has access to your devices. If your kids are used to playing games on your computer, now would be a good time to change that habit.
- Enable automatic updates on your devices. This will guarantee that they are running the most updated software where any recently discovered security bugs have been solved.
- Check to see if your security software (e.g. antivirus, etc.) is running and is up-to-date.
- Set up a six-digit PIN on your mobile device.
- Watch the Working Remotely training video. If you have the ability to work remotely, please complete the Working Remotely training video in Securing The Human as soon as possible.
- Be familiar with VPN policies and procedures. You can find information about the VPN on the Information Security website.
- Protect university data carefully. See the Data Security page for information about restricted data and how to handle it. In addition, remember that student grades, health information, and email addresses are protected by FERPA and guard the information accordingly. Follow the policy on FERPA carefully.
- Be vigilant. Stay on the lookout for phishing emails, social engineering attacks, and fake websites. Check our Security Alerts and Information page for the latest updates.
- Report suspicious emails. If you suspect that your device might be compromised or that you might have fallen victim to a phishing scam, promptly contact your security team at phishing@longwood.edu or infosec@longwood.edu.