April Cybersecurity Awareness Tip: Simple steps to protect your identity

How secure is your digital identity? If a cybercriminal gained access to your accounts, how much damage could they do?

April 8 was Identity Management Day. It's a reminder that protecting your identity is essential in today's digital world.  Launched in 2021, it raises awareness about securing your accounts and credentials (aka usernames and passwords). It highlights how simple actions like using strong passwords can prevent identity theft.

Take charge of your identity security with these three essential steps:

Use Strong, Unique Passwords.

Reusing passwords across many accounts makes you an easy target for cybercriminals. Create strong, unique passwords for every account. Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A password manager can help you generate and store them securely. We don’t endorse any particular password manager at Yale. However, we recommend reviewing this PCMag article for an overview of their features.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

MFA is required to access Yale’s resources, both on and off campus. But are you using it for your personal accounts too? Cybercriminals often target personal email, banking, and social media accounts. Their goal is to steal information or launch attacks. Enabling MFA on these accounts reduces the risk of unauthorized access. It’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself online.

Track Your Accounts for Suspicious Activity.

Regularly check your accounts for unusual activity such as unfamiliar transactions. Be cautious of phone calls or text messages claiming to be from banks or other trusted institutions. Scammers often impersonate these organizations to steal your credentials. If something seems off, don’t click links or provide personal information. Instead, contact the organization directly using a known, official source.

Protect your identity—because when you stay secure, you keep Yale and yourself secure too!