If you plan to purchase an electronic device for yourself or someone on your holiday list, make sure to protect it and its data with these security measures:
- Lock your device
Secure your new device with a passphrase, pattern or biometric authentication. Should you lose your device, this security measure protects your personal information from the average criminal. - Physically secure your device
Don’t leave any of your devices unattended. Theft of mobile devices is one of the most common ways that data is stolen. The NC State Help Desk regularly receives reports of device theft from vehicles. - Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) services
If your new device is replacing one that you have been using as your second factor for Duo Security and Google 2-Step Verification, make sure to enroll the new device in these services. - Connect your new device to eduroam
The eduroam service is NC State’s only secure wireless service that encrypts your data in transmission. As an added benefit, enrolling in eduroam at NC State allows you to connect to secure Wi-Fi automatically at participating educational and research institutions worldwide. - Apply security updates
Manufacturers and application developers update their software to fix bugs and vulnerabilities. Apply these security updates as soon as possible to ensure you’re fixing identified weaknesses. - Be careful when downloading apps
Make sure you trust the app providers and download apps only from trusted sources such as the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, as they are proactive about removing malicious apps. - Beware of free public Wi-Fi
Too many free Wi-Fi networks are unsecured, open to the public and visible to anyone within range, so avoid doing anything private like making a bank transaction while using them. If you need to access your Unity account, disable the Wi-Fi and switch to your mobile network. - Disable unwanted and unneeded services
Disable the applications or features that you don’t use. Capabilities such as Bluetooth and unsecured network connections provide convenience, but they can also make it easier for a nearby, unauthorized user to access your data. Be sure to turn these features off when you’re done using them.
For additional resources to help you protect your device, see: