This month is a chance for staff and students to brush up on the risks involving privacy, phishing scams and related cyber matters. Here are a few pointers on how to stay safe online.

The University of Pretoria’s (UP) cybersecurity campaign aims to ensure that staff and students are fully aware of the persistent risks that exist on line. That is why we have created an information page available at https://www.up.ac.za/itsecurity with easy-to-read articles and useful resources for staff, students and parents.

What you need to know

Password security is the first step. Ensure that you use strong passwords consisting of letters, special characters and numbers, and never share your passwords with anyone. Incorporate multi-factor authentication wherever possible. Also remember, if you’re unwilling to give your banking PIN to someone, there is no reason to give them your password either. For more information, consult the following articles: ‘You are a target!’ and ‘Passwords – your key to cybersecurity’.

All devices (including Apple products) are vulnerable. Consult the following articles on our web page to learn how to protect your Apple devices: ‘Phishing attacks that impersonate Apple’ and ‘Secure your macOS device’.  

Resources for parents: It is sometimes difficult for parents to keep track of their children’s internet usage and to find information on child-friendly online activities. Here are some points for parents to keep in mind:

• Always be aware of what your children are subscribed to and how they behave on social media – communication is key.
• Read the terms and conditions when creating social media accounts for children. Most parents are not aware that social media platforms implement age restrictions of 13 and higher for their users.
• If you will not allow your child to view age-restricted TV or movie content, the same applies to computer games. Be aware of age-restricted content on games and review a game before purchasing it to ensure that the content is age appropriate.   
• Consult our articles about children and the internet and social media: ‘How safe is your kid online?’ and ‘For the parents – how to pass on the culture of digital citizenship to your kids.’ Also consult our ‘Useful Sites’ page for activities to incorporate into your child’s learning programme.

Personal privacy is an important factor. This applies to one’s own information and the information of others. Children should be informed of the correct way to share information online and what information to keep private. Consult the following resources for more information: ‘Protect your privacy’ and ‘POPIA and information sharing’.

Cyber attacks and phishing scams are an ever-increasing challenge, and one should always be alert when interacting online. Learn how to spot a scam and be careful of sharing information via email and social media. Visit our ‘Scam Warnings’ page to review whether a specific interaction has been flagged as a scam. Our ‘Useful Sites’ page provides additional information as well as a quiz that will assist individuals to increase their awareness and learn how to spot suspicious information.    

Where to get help and information

We continuously update the information on our Information and Cybersecurity page, so visit it frequently for new articles and useful resources.

Staff members are welcome to contact the IT Helpdesk for assistance, advice and information at [email protected] / (012) 420-3051.

Staff and students can also use our service portal at https://upsmax.up.ac.za to log a support call or to view our knowledge base.

Students can visit any of the official UP Computer Facilities for assistance and advice. We also have services that cater to personal student devices and will be able to assist any registered student who needs support with their laptop or another mobile device. Please visit our information page to find the closest facility to you. 

Follow the UP official social media accounts and find our tips under the hashtag #securitycheckUP for updates.