Security Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Passwords
Is it safe to send my password over email?
No, it is never safe to send your password over email. You should not share your password with anybody.
Can I write my password down?
We understand that you have a lot of passwords to remember- we do, too! It is not a best practice, however, to write your password down on a sticky note or piece of paper as it could get into the wrong hands. There are many password managers online that you can use to keep track of your passwords. The password manager applications are encrypted and password protected so only you will have access to them. ITS does not officially support any password managers, but here are some common applications that you can look into.
Is using lots of special characters and numbers in your password more important than having a long password?
no; password security increases exponentially as it increases in size - longer is always better. However, numbers and special characters help increase the complexity of your password as well, although they have less an impact than length.
Phishing
Computer Backups
The best way to ensure your valuable data is secure is by having a backup. There are many ways of backing up your computer. Please click through the tabs in this section to help you make the best backup choice for your data.
A backup is most valuable when it’s performed automatically without any manual intervention, and when it’s performed on a regular basis. You can use Time Machine to schedule your data backups on a Mac, and Windows File History to back up data on a Windows 10 device.
We recommend using an encrypted cloud-based backup solution such as CrashPlan, Mozy or Carbonite. USD currently supports CrashPlan through our managed enterprise service and is available to all faculty and staff through on a cost for use basis.
CrashPlan is a fully automated backup solution that stores your data in an encrypted format. It has the ability to save your data to a server on the Internet as well as to an external hard drive connected to your computer (external drive is an additional cost).
If you want to learn more about the CrashPlan system in use at USD, you can visit their website at http://www.code42.com/enterprise/.
If you are interested in using CrashPlan on your USD provided computer, or you’d like more information about CrashPlan, please contact the ITS Help Desk at help@sandiego.edu or by calling ext. 7900. CrashPlan has a nominal subscription fee which is payable by your department on an annual basis. Contact the Help Desk for the most current pricing.
Other Information

Watch the video above to learn more about common misconceptions in Cyber Security and what you can do to avoid them and stay safe!