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Digital Identity Management Do's and Don'ts For Students, Staff and Faculty |
Digital Identity Management has become a hot topic over the last year. Many universities around the country are working to raise campus awareness of the risks associated with digital identity - including concerns like identity fraud, phishing scams, pyramid schemes, e-mail hoaxes, malicious attacks and spyware technologies. In addition, as universities increasingly move toward Web services, Web portals, and self-service models, students, faculty and staff need to develop effective electronic identity management skills. To help Penn State community members become better acquainted with the "do's" and "don'ts" of Digital Identity Management this fall, information Technology Services (ITS) is offering a combination expo/conference that showcases the topic on October 12th at the the HUB-Robeson Center (see related article at http://css.its.psu.edu/news/showcase.html). In addition, ITS staff members recommend the following tips:
Your digital identity is your Penn State Access Account userid (User I.D.) and password. These two electronic identifiers collectively provide access to a wide-range of Penn State Internet services, including LIAS, eLion, the World Wide Web, e-mail, the University's calendars, ecommerce Web sites, OHR benefit information, research services, and Penn State's ITS-managed Student Computing Labs.
Your userid (sometimes referred to as a "username") is usually comprised of your initials and/or a one-to-three digit number such as "xyz123." This is the public part of your digital identity, which is typically viewable by friends and colleagues when you send an e-mail or fill out a Web form. If your userid is xyz123, then in general, your Penn State e-mail address will be xyz123@psu.edu.
Your password, on the other hand, functions somewhat like a "key" that enables you to open the University's many electronic doors (or Web sites). This is the private part of your digital identity. It is very important to protect and guard your password much in the same way you would your personal bankcard PIN number. Don't write it down or make it easy for someone to "crack." It is your responsibility as a computer user to create a strong password for both your Penn State Access Account and all operating system accounts on your computer (for tips on how to do this, please see http://sos.its.psu.edu/passwords.html). It is also critical that you never share your password with anyone.
Good Personal Digital Identity Management is the ability to use your Penn State Access Account (and therefore your userid and password) responsibly in all electronic interactions. Internet users, who use their userid and password to authenticate (or prove their identity) when they connect to digital services for which they have authorization (or official access to specific services), are using good Digital Identity Management practices. Alternatively, individuals who share their passwords and userids with friends and family members, are employing poor Digital Identity Management practices - and greatly risk having something important stolen from them, such as a birth certificate, social security number, credit card information or banking data.
If you suspect that your Access Account has been compromised, contact Security Operations and Services (SOS) immediately at security@psu.edu or visit the SOS Web site at http://sos.its.psu.edu/. To learn more about good Digital Identity Management practices, see the following: http://aset.its.psu.edu/accounts/ http://css.its.psu.edu/internet/