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Top IT Safety Tips for the Holidays

Be vigilant this holiday season by brushing up on these IT safety tips

Sad, but true: The holidays create a prime time for scammers and cybercriminals to take advantage of our changes in purchasing and traveling habits.

So this holiday season, let’s prioritize IT safety and security. Your attention to IT security best practices helps keep you safe—and it can protect your friends, colleagues, and family.

Safety tips

We’ve updated our 12 IT Safety Tips for the Holidays infographic this year to make it easier to print. So print it, save it, share it, sing it—whatever helps you put it into practice!

The 12 IT Safety Tips of the Holidays - 2024. Described below.
The 12 IT Safety Tips of the Holidays. 01. Check it twice: Don’t sign or pay until you investigate deals; be especially cautious if rushed. 02. Verify all senders: Look up and verify the details of any person or "company" offering a deal. 03. Pay it safe: Avoid paying with wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. 04. Wi-Fi no-nos: Be cautious of public Wi-Fi networks, workstations, and charging stations. 05. Avoid the click: Don't click on links from unverified sources. 06. Double the factors: Use two-factor authentication on as many services as able. 07. No surprises: Be wary of unexpected emails or phone calls. 08. Stay up-to-date: Keep your devices up-to-date, encrypted, and backed up. 09. Hide the cables: Put away charging cables in your vehicle when shopping. 10. Leave devices home: Leave your laptop at home or keep it with you at all times. 11. Lock it up tight: Ensure your vehicle is locked when you are out and about shopping. 12. Have a wonderful, safe holiday!

View the infographic page for image and PDF options.

Safety toolbox

While our 12 IT Safety Tips give you the steps to follow, these Stanford tools and services help support many of those practices:

Going remote

Anti-phishing

Devices

  • MyDevices - View a list of your registered devices in Stanford network records and find out whether those devices are verifiably encrypted and compliant.
  • Mobile Device Management - Keep personal or work-issued mobile devices secure.
  • Dashlane - Use a password vault to manage login details and flag fake sites.

Backups, software, and updates

  • CrashPlan Backup - Create and manage backups with this centrally managed, automatic data backup solution. (Rates might apply.)
  • Essential Stanford Software - Get applications that help you plug into the Stanford network and access university computing services safely and securely.
  • Crowdstrike (centrally deployed to Jamf- or BigFix-managed devices) - Use advanced anti-malware against modern computer and network threats. 

Learn more

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