Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Security, Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy

As you settle back into the spring semester, take a moment to make sure your technology is ready for a smooth and secure start.

Complete the mandatory tutorial Information Security at Penn: A Practical Guide: Spend about 20 minutes to finish the required Information Security at Penn: A Practical Guide in Workday by January 12, 2026. Visit the course webpage to access the training and find answers to your questions at https://isc.upenn.edu/security/aware/infosec_online_training.  

Choose a strong password or passphrase: If you need to reset your password frequently or want to select a new one after travel, create a password that is at least 16 characters long. A passphrase is a memorable sentence that meets Penn’s password complexity requirements. For example, Eat Healthy 3$Daily. You also use Dashlane, a password manager provided by the University for no cost, to create and store passwords.

Update and patch your devices: If your computer or mobile device was unused over winter break, it might have missed important updates. Install the latest operating system and application patches recommended by your local support team. Staying current helps protect your devices and the data they hold.

Restart regularly: A simple restart can boost performance. Rebooting your device clears temporary files, applies pending updates, and refreshes background processes, helping your system run more smoothly and reliably.

Review and secure your data: Take a few minutes to review your stored data. Delete anything that is no longer needed. For data that must be retained, especially information classified as moderate or high risk, ensure that it is stored securely and encrypted in accordance with University guidelines. Some tech housekeeping now can prevent bigger problems later.

Welcome back and have a great semester!

Penn Data Risk Classification: https://isc.upenn.edu/security/penn-data-risk-classification.  

Get IT help: https://isc.upenn.edu/get-it-help.

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For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: https://isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts%23One-Step-Ahead.