Safer web browsing

To help protect yourself and University data, follow these simple guidelines when browsing the web.

Protect your personal information

Avoid sharing sensitive personal details on social media sites, such as:

• full name
• date of birth
• home address (including postcode)
• National Insurance number

Be cautious about sharing information often used in security questions, such as:

• family names (including maiden names)
• place of birth
• favourite colour

Only allow people you know and trust to view your full profile.

Be cautious with emails and links

• Do not click links in unexpected or suspicious emails.
• Be wary of messages asking you to confirm personal or login details.
• Phishing emails are designed to trick you into revealing sensitive information.

Check that websites are secure

Before entering personal or sensitive information:

• look for a padlock icon in your browser's address bar
• verify the website is marked as 'Secure'
• make sure the site address starts with HTTPS

This shows the site is using encryption. If any of these features are missing, do not submit any information.

Be mindful when signing up to websites

• Read the privacy policy before creating an account.
• Check what data is being collected and how it will be used.
• Where you can, choose not to be contacted by third parties.

Protect your email address

• Avoid sharing your primary email address online.
• Do not include 'mailto:' links on public web pages.

Keep your device protected

• Make sure anti-virus and firewall are turned on.
• Keep your device and software up to date.

Visit the Protect Your Device and Email page for further guidance on keeping your devices secure.

Manage pop-ups safely

• Turn on your browser's pop-up blocker.
• Only allow pop-ups from trusted websites.

Some genuine services may require pop-ups, so you may occasionally need to allow them for specific sites.

Further guidance

For more advice on staying safe online, visit the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) website.