Keep Your Personal Information Secure
Living and learning in a digital environment poses risks to your personal information.
It’s important to practice caution in online interactions to avoid becoming a victim of phishing attempts. Phishing is a form of cyber-attack where someone mimics another person, university or business with the hopes of tricking you into providing your personal information.
If You Receive a Questionable Email or Text
NIU will never email or text you for a password or verification without you first initiating contact. If you receive a questionable text or email, do not respond or provide any information. Follow these steps:
- Report questionable texts or email to NIU by emailing abuse@niu.edu or contacting our Division of Information Technology’s service desk (servicedesk@niu.edu or 815-753-8100) as soon as possible.
- If you provided any of your personal information or credentials in reply to a text or an email, please let us know and reset your password immediately.
If you have questions, email servicedesk@niu.edu or infosecurity@niu.edu, or call our service desk at 815-753-8100.
Tips and Best Practices
Below are a few important tips and best practices to remember to help secure your information:
- Do not reuse your NIU password for other websites or applications.
- Do not approve a multi-factor authentication (MFA) request if it is not from you.
- Do not provide any personal information unless you understand the situation.
- Do not click on links or attachments or reply if you are not 100% sure that they are legitimate, even if from internal accounts.
More information about phishing and tips to avoid being a victim are available from the Office of Information Security.
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