3 Tips for Staying Safe Online

It is more important than ever to keep you information and identity safe online. The University of Toronto has many tools and resources to help keep you and your data safe! Below are three tips to follow to ensure digital security.  

1. Enrol in UTORMFA

UTORMFA is a the University of Toronto’s multi-factor authentication solution. After you enrol in the program, your log-in will be authenticated via a push notification sent to your phone by the DUO mobile application.  

Using multi-factor authentication ensures that only you can login to your account. This keeps your data safe and secure and reduces risk.

2. Protect yourself against fraud

One of the most common forms of digital fraud are phishing attempts. These can take the form of malicious emails or messages.  

Be wary of unexpected emails from unknown senders! Here are some common red flags:  

  • A strong sense of urgency  
  • Requesting personal information  
  • Spelling and/or grammar mistakes  
  • Brief signatures  
  • Generic greetings  
  • Attachments and links  

If you believe you have received a phishing email, please report it to report.phishing@utoronto.ca and delete it immediately from your mailbox. Don’t click any links, download attachments or engage with the sender. 

You can see examples of recent phishing attempts received by U of T community members through Phish Bowl.

For more information about protecting yourself against malicious emails, see more tips for identifying and reporting a phishing attempt. 

3. Protect your devices

Cyber attacks can also come from vulnerabilities in the software of your devices. Luckily, most software companies are aware of these attacks and work quickly to release updates.  

Make sure you enable automatic updates on your devices. This way, your devices will have the most current forms of protection as quickly as possible  

You can also install Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection (anti-virus for Windows); it is available for no charge on University owned or leased equipment.

For more information, see the Malware factsheet.