{"id":2002,"date":"2025-05-08T09:44:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T13:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/?p=2002"},"modified":"2025-05-08T09:47:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T13:47:45","slug":"digital-security-year%e2%80%91end-housekeeping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/?p=2002","title":{"rendered":"Digital Security\u202f&amp;\u202fYear\u2011End Housekeeping\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As you head off for conferences, fieldwork, or a hard\u2011earned vacation, give your digital life the same care you give your luggage. The checklist below combines summer\u2011travel security tips with end\u2011of\u2011academic\u2011year tasks so you start July with peace of mind and a clean slate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Patch &amp; Protect Before You Go<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Install every update.<\/strong> Run operating\u2011system and app updates on laptops, tablets, and phones before departure\u2014unpatched devices are prime ransomware targets.&nbsp; See <strong>Keeping Your Computer Up to Date.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Turn on two\u2011factor authentication (2FA).<\/strong> Two\u2011factor authentication is already active with Sharkpass on your Simmons login\u2014switch it on for your personal email, Google\u202fWorkspace, cloud storage, and every other service that offers it to block most account\u2011takeover attacks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Encrypt your devices.<\/strong> On your personal devices, use BitLocker (Windows) or FileVault (macOS); iOS and Android encrypt by default when you set a passcode. If the device is lost, your data stays protected.&nbsp; We\u2019ve done this on your Simmons-issued computer for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consider, set up, and test a VPN.<\/strong> Public Wi\u2011Fi is never private; a VPN encrypts your traffic end\u2011to\u2011end.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Smart Habits on the Road<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Avoid public USB charging ports.<\/strong> Stick with your own charger, a wall outlet, or a battery pack to dodge \u201cjuice\u2011jacking\u201d attacks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use a privacy screen and choose seats wisely.<\/strong> Keep prying eyes off sensitive information in airports and caf\u00e9s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep devices in sight.<\/strong> Never leave laptops or phones unattended; if you must leave a laptop in a hotel room, secure it with a cable lock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Watch for travel\u2011themed phishing.<\/strong> Summer brings fake flight\u2011change notices and hotel invoices\u2014hover, pause, and verify before clicking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Leaving Campus Safely<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Appropriately backup and encrypt research data<\/strong>\u2014especially anything covered by FERPA, HIPAA, or grant agreements\u2014before you travel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Store files in Google\u202fDrive rather than on USB sticks<\/strong> that are easily lost.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quick Departure Checklist<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Updates installed and encryption enabled<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2FA active on key accounts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider using a VPN, test and ready<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Privacy screen in your carry\u2011on<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data backed up and safely stored<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Required software licensed past June\u202f30<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>(Graduating?) Files exported and devices sanitized, see <strong>Departing? Export Your Data<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1EzkHsz4uqeyeS2Z3NbTEWm-uTcmD54X-0MJv57Milsg\/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ixuu9y6c0k8\"><br><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Questions? Contact the <a href=\"https:\/\/servicedesk.simmons.edu\/\"><strong>Service Desk<\/strong><\/a> at\u202fservicedesk@simmons.edu\u202for\u202f617\u2011521\u20112222.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Safe travels\u2014and see you (and your data) back on campus in the fall!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As you head off for conferences, fieldwork, or a hard\u2011earned vacation, give your digital life the same care you give your luggage. The checklist below combines summer\u2011travel security tips with end\u2011of\u2011academic\u2011year tasks so you start July with peace of mind and a clean slate. Patch &amp; Protect Before You Go Smart Habits on the Road [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[412,414,419,12],"class_list":["post-2002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technews","tag-412","tag-414","tag-digital-security","tag-information-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2002"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2006,"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2002\/revisions\/2006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/technews.simmons.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}