NC State celebrates Data Privacy Month 2019

Data Privacy Month 2019 logo, a stylized grey wolf with its tale curled around a phone depicting a fingerprint. Surrounding the wolf are the words "protect the pack, cover your assets"Your name, date of birth, email and physical address, banking account numbers, Social Security number, and even your campus ID are identification markers that hackers can harvest to steal your identity. With this information, they can file your income tax returns, obtain credit in your name and trick people you know into providing their sensitive data.  

Your personally identifiable information is stored by various organizations, including NC State, in numerous locations. These entities have an obligation to protect your information, but you are also responsible for deciding who can access your personal data and for safeguarding every device you use to access your data.

In celebration of Data Privacy Month, Jan. 28 to Feb. 28, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) will sponsor Protect the Pack: Cover Your Assets! to empower you with the tools and knowledge necessary to protect your privacy and control your digital footprint. Sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance, Data Privacy Month stresses the protection of privacy and data as everyone’s priority.

During Data Privacy Month, OIT will sponsor three special activities:

  • Data Security Training
    In early February, OIT and campus affiliates will launch a new mandatory Data Security Training. Beginning this year, the online training module will be required annually for all university employees including student employees. The focus is on cybersecurity awareness topics critical to the university such as phishing, two-factor authentication (2FA) and mobile device security. The training module is one of many IT resources that can help us reduce human error — the leading cause of compromised systems, such as data breaches.
  • Mobile Security for Your Android and iOS Devices (Presentation Slides)
    On Wednesday, Feb. 27, OIT will present “Mobile Security for Your Android and iOS Devices” from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 3285 of the Talley Student Union. Your mobile device data grows every day, including almost everything imaginable: email, bank accounts, Google docs, online shopping, pictures, videos, and social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter. The features that make your data so accessible also make your devices vulnerable to cyber attacks. Come to this presentation to determine if you have successfully implemented the university’s recommended mobile device security safeguards along with those of the new Endpoint Protection Standard. They can protect your devices against the most common security risks. To register, visit REPORTER. Light refreshments will be served and you will have the opportunity to win great door prizes, including wireless earbuds, two-in-one NC State car and wall charger, and a security key.
  • Mobile Device Security Checkpoints
    On Feb. 27, OIT will host five Mobile Device Security Checkpoints from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second floor of the Talley Student Union. If you have questions about mobile device security or general computing questions, OIT Security staff will be on hand to arm you with answers. Bring your mobile devices!