Have a Cyber Safe Holiday!

Have a Cyber-Safe Holiday!

Person typing on laptop surrounded by holiday decorations.

November 25, 2025

As the holiday season begins, OU IT wants to remind Faculty, Students and Staff, to stay cybersecurity aware to have a Hacker-Free Holiday with this list of reminders.

Phishing Awareness

During the holiday season, be sure to take your time when reading emails that are holiday-themed or have a gift card. Aunt Linda may have sent you a gift card, but before clicking, check the validity of the link or give that person a call to see if they sent some holiday cheer your way.
Remember, if you receive a questionable email to your ou.edu email, you can always report it to OU IT for review. Utilizing the Phish Alert Button helps us stay vigilant against new tactics of cybercriminals and keeps OU safe.
Please be vigilant of any emails you receive with web links or attachments.
Verify the sender’s intent before opening or downloading attachments, links, or entering login information.

Device Security

Getting a new device this holiday season? Ensure you update your PingID and set up Multi-Factor Authentication on this device, so you can access your OU account without interruption after the break. Been a while since you updated PingID? Or have other questions? Check out this PingID FAQ page.
Reminder! If you haven't already, set up your OUIDPIN. This personal identification number (PIN) allows for quicker verification for the OU IT Service Desk to assist you with any account access needs.
Please do not use your University email address and password for credentials to external services outside of OU. This protects your OU account credentials when those external services are compromised.

Online Shopping Saftey

Cybercriminals will offer fake holiday deals for desperate, last-minute shoppers. Though these ads may appear real, be sure to go directly to the store's website before purchasing. The same goes for tracking shipping of your items!
Fake receipts of large purchases may shock you into clicking links in emails but be sure to check the email for phishing attempts and stop, look, and think before panicking.
Avoid public Wi-Fi when making purchases.

Social Media Caution

Avoid oversharing travel plans in real-time and limit personal information shared.

For more information, please visit the OU IT Cybersecurity site at https://ou.edu/ouit/cybersecurity/.

Reminder:
OU IT will NEVER call or text asking for your PingID or OUIDPIN

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