Institutional announcements

Tips for protecting your identity

March 13, 2020
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A breach of privacy affecting personal information at Simon Fraser University (SFU) was identified on February 28, 2020. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and retirees who joined the University prior to June 20, 2019, are affected by this breach. Full information, including the immediate steps you should take to protect your personal information, privacy, and identity, are identified in the notice.

One of the potential risks and harms connected with the exposure of personal information is identity theft. Steps you can take to protect your identity include:

  • Ensure your computer and mobile devices are kept up-to-date with the latest security updates and patches.
  • Use unique, hard-to-guess passwords for each of your online accounts and change them if you suspect they may have been compromised.
  • Be extremely careful when you provide personal information over the phone, Internet, or email. This includes being wary of unsolicited e-mails, telephone calls, or mail attempting to extract personal information from you.
  • Minimize the use of personal information when using social media. Understand the privacy and security settings available and take advantage of them.
  • Keep items containing personal information, such as your birth certificate and passport, in a safe place.
  • Though no financial information was exposed as a result of this breach of privacy at SFU, we encourage you to monitor your accounts as a standard practice.  

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Canada has published advice on identity theft that you may also find helpful. For full details, visit their website.