A new year is a natural reset point, not just for calendars, but for habits. When it comes to cybersecurity, the most effective habits are often the simplest ones. No overhaul required. Just a few intentional choices that protect Yale data and your own information every day.
Here are five foundational habits worth refreshing as you head into the year.
BEE Safe, Not Sorry: Speaking up early makes a difference.
If something doesn’t look right, report it. Think you spotted something suspicious? Have a concern about sensitive data? Early reporting helps limit impact and protect the wider Yale community.
You don’t need to have all the answers to take action. When in doubt, use our Report an Incident feature to share your concerns.
Know Your Risk: Know the data you are responsible for protecting.
Not all data is created equal. Some information requires extra care, whether it is personal, financial, research-related, or confidential.
Take a moment to understand the sensitivity of the data you handle. When you know the risk, you can make the right match. That includes choosing the right tools, storage, and sharing methods for the job. Matching protection to risk helps you make smarter decisions and protect what matters most.
Check out our Know Your Risk page for more ideas to keep data safe.
Click with Caution: Recognize. Relax. Rethink.
Have you ever clicked on a link and immediately wished you hadn’t? You’re not alone, and that feeling is exactly what attackers count on.
When a message asks for sensitive information or pushes you to act right now, it’s time to Recognize the risk. Urgency is a common tactic used to rush us past good judgment. This is especially true when we’re busy or distracted.
Next, Relax. Take a breath. You don’t need to respond instantly.
Then, Rethink before you click. Does this message make sense? Is the sender who they claim to be? Is there another way to verify the request?
That brief pause can prevent issues that are far harder to fix later. For more help spotting suspicious messages, review our FUDGE model, which highlights the most common warning signs.
Protect Your Identity: Your NetID password is the key.
Your netID and password are the keys to Yale’s systems and data. Using a strong, unique password and multifactor authentication (MFA) adds an essential layer of protection.
Yale works hard to secure its systems, but how you use your NetID still matters. Reusing your NetID password on personal sites, apps, or services puts Yale (and you) at risk, especially if one of those sites becomes compromised.
Protecting your NetID and your personal accounts reduces risk across both your work and home life. Our Protect Your Identity page offers simple, practical steps to help keep your digital identity secure.
Apply updates: Let your devices protect you in the background.
Updates fix security gaps that attackers look for. Keeping devices and applications up to date is one of the easiest ways to reduce risk.
Turning on automatic updates where possible is a simple habit that pays off year-round.
Learn more about the importance of applying updates.
Looking ahead: New Year, New You challenge
January is about refreshing the basics. February is about practicing them together.
The New Year, New You: Back to Basics challenge starts February 2 — please join us. We’re bringing these habits to life through interactive events, lightning talks, and self-paced games. Plus, check out our engaging guest speakers, including two joint speakers with the Harvard awareness community.
Sign up for alerts to receive weekly reminders, event updates, and easy ways to stay engaged throughout the month, with a few fun extras along the way.
Let’s commit to ‘Bee Cyber Fit’ all year long.