{"id":572,"date":"2025-06-30T08:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/?p=572"},"modified":"2025-06-26T10:37:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T14:37:58","slug":"keep-your-digital-independence-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/2025\/06\/30\/keep-your-digital-independence-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Cybersecurity and the 4th of July: Keep Your Digital Independence Safe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we gear up to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, cookouts, and red, white, and blue everything, it\u2019s also a great time to think about another kind of independence\u2014<\/span><strong>your digital independence<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whether you&#8217;re staying on campus, heading home, or traveling for the long weekend, your online safety should be part of your holiday checklist. Cyber threats don\u2019t take days off, and neither should your cybersecurity habits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s how to keep your devices and data safe while you celebrate freedom:<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>1. Declare Independence from Weak Passwords<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you&#8217;re still using a password like &#8220;GoRedHawks123&#8221; or your pet\u2019s name, it&#8217;s time to break free.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use strong, unique passwords for every account.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Enable <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/information-technology\/security\/duo-mfa\/\">multi-factor authentication (MFA)<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> wherever possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider using a <\/span><strong>password manager<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to keep track of everything securely.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. Don\u2019t Let Fireworks Blind You to Phishing<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hackers love holidays. It\u2019s a prime time for phishing emails disguised as fake travel updates, event invites, or patriotic promotions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Be skeptical of emails or texts with urgent messages or links.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hover over links before clicking to check if the URL looks legitimate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Report suspicious messages using the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/information-technology\/security\/pab\/\">PAB<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or by forwarding it to <\/span><a href=\"mailto:phishfiles@montclair.edu\">phishfiles@montclair.edu<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3. Secure Your Devices Like You\u2019d Guard the Grill<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your phone, laptop, and tablet are prime targets if left unattended\u2014especially during travel or public events.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lock your devices with a passcode or biometric login.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/guide\/iphone\/set-a-passcode-iph14a867ae\/ios\">Apple<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/support.google.com\/android\/answer\/9079129?hl=en\">Android<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Turn on \u201cFind My Device\u201d features in case of loss or theft.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/102648\">Apple<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/accounts\/answer\/3265955?hl=en#zippy=%2Cstep-check-that-find-hub-is-on\">Android<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Never leave devices unattended in public places or unlocked in a car.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. Be Cautious on Public Wi-Fi<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Heading to a fireworks show, beach, or airport with free Wi-Fi? Don\u2019t let convenience compromise your data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid logging into sensitive accounts on public Wi-Fi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use a <\/span><strong>VPN (Virtual Private Network)<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to encrypt your connection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Turn off auto-connect settings to prevent devices from joining rogue networks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5. Celebrate, But Share Responsibly<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We all love posting holiday photos, but think before you share.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid sharing your exact location in real-time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t post photos of your student ID, travel tickets, or anything with personal info.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Review your privacy settings on social media platforms.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/help.instagram.com\/285881641526716?ref=igtos\">Instagram<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.tiktok.com\/en\/account-and-privacy\/account-privacy-settings\">TikTok<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/help.snapchat.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/7012343074580-How-do-I-change-my-privacy-settings-on-Snapchat\">Snapchat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/help\/193677450678703\/\">Facebook<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/settings\">X\/Twitter<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Freedom with Responsibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just like our country\u2019s independence came with the responsibility to protect and preserve it, our digital freedom comes with its own set of duties. Whether you\u2019re a student, faculty, or staff member, your cybersecurity habits help keep our entire campus community safe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>So this 4th of July, celebrate your freedom\u2014and secure it, too.<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Enjoy the hot dogs, the fireworks, and the time off, but don\u2019t forget to keep your guard up in the digital world. A secure campus is something worth celebrating year-round.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we gear up to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, cookouts, and red, white, and blue everything, it\u2019s also a great time to think about another kind of independence\u2014your digital independence. Whether you&#8217;re staying on campus, heading home, or traveling for the long weekend, your online safety should be part of your holiday [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":349,"featured_media":625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":727,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions\/727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}