Physical Security and Awareness

On average, physical security lapses are responsible for far more losses at an organization than malware infections. 

Please keep the following practices in mind while on campus:

• Be aware of strangers in your area. If a stranger enters your immediate office area, you are within your rights to confront the individual(s) and ask if assistance is needed. If they are behaving suspiciously or refuse to leave, contact Campus Police immediately.
   
• Lock your office when you leave. This not only means when you leave at the end of the day, but also when you leave for short periods, such as that bathroom break down the hall. It only takes a few minutes for someone to enter your space and steal property or information.
   
• Store passwords in your head, or use a password manager. Never write a password down on a piece of paper. Taping it to the bottom of a keyboard has been tried many times, and is not safe in any way. 
   
• Be careful with USB drives. Never plug a USB drive into your computer if you do not know who owns it. Likewise, should you discover an unrecognizable USB drive plugged into your computer, remove it immediately and contact the Help Desk for further assistance. It is possible for malicious individuals to secretly install key-logging software onto a machine using such methods.