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Get tips on how to protect yourself from cyber criminals.

Have you seen this poster around Adelphi? It was co-designed by Alisha Kelleher ’14 and William Pasquarello ’14.

While it may be hard to believe, theft can happen to anyone, anywhere. Unfortunately there are people out there who would steal your laptop or your identity if given the opportunity. However, there are ways to protect yourself from such things.

An Adelphi student shared her story:

I was on my laptop at work before the workday began and I made a $35 purchase online with my PayPal account. I thought that I was on my company’s password-protected wifi, but my laptop connected to a public wifi instead. A few minutes later, I received an email saying that my purchase for a $2,695 Macbook Pro on eBay was approved.

I called PayPal immediately and they identified it as an unauthorized transaction, and I changed my PayPal password as well as the passwords for every account I could think of. I thought it was over, but I kept receiving emails saying that my bank was rejecting the transaction. I finally had to close my bank account and make a police report.

Unfortunately, for this student a simple mistake led to a huge hassle and credit card theft. Even though she was able stop the transaction she had to deal with a much larger issue; the fact that the thief has access to PayPal account.

How can I prevent identity theft?

In order to keep their belonging safe students should never leave their books unattended. Leaving your things with a friend is just as dangerous. Your friend unfortunately has no reason to make sure your laptop and large textbooks are safe. If they go missing while your friend is watching them, it’s you who will have to pay if they go missing.

It’s also important to make sure you don’t share your important information with anyone. Keep your passwords, your pins and your bank accounts safe. Don’t throw away paper that has your personal information on it including your pin number, social security number, bank number, bank passwords, and credit and debit card numbers.

You should also monitor your bank and billing statements and get an annual credit report.

What should I do if  I think my identity has been stolen?

If you believe your identity or information has been stolen you should immediately place a fraud alert and your credit reports. This will keep prevent anyone from opening an account or credit card in your name.

You should also close any accounts that you believe were tampered with or opened falsely. Finally, you should also file a report with your local police department.

What about my electronic devices?

Get info on preventing device theft and what do do if yours is lost or stolen.

Have a story about identity theft? Share it with us anonymously. Your experience might help someone else prevent a similar problem.

For further information on security issues:

Visit our IT security site for more topics at it.adelphi.edu/security.

Live chat with a Help Desk rep at it.adelphi.edu/chat.

Email your issue to helpdesk@adelphi.edu or call 516.877.3340.


National Cyber Security Awareness Month is an initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Aligning with this campaign, Adelphi IT urges everyone at the University to take responsibility for protecting your digital resources, whether personal, academic, or professional.

For further information, please contact:

Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director 
p – 516.237.8634
e – twilson@adelphi.edu

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