SAN ANGELO, Texas — We are still in West Texas, and unlike in the past it is not the usual Wild West where criminals robbed banks. Fast forward to the present day, those criminals are now trying to rob people's information by using a computer.
According to multiple sources and Angelo State University, a cyber-attack happens every 39 seconds.
Now with students of all grade levels taking classes online, no one knows who can be trying to hack into your computer.
Angelo State University Learning Technology Support Manager Rebecca Schkade gives steps to ensure online safety.
"We use a lot of authenticated products, so a student is never going to be asked for their Social Security number or their student I.D. number," Schkade said. "If you're asked that information, you're definitely not in the right place."
She said some of the red flags to look out for are questions that would not normally be asked. For instance, ASU will never ask a student for personal information and
if you do use your computer for school and banking, always make sure you are on a secure browser.
Another thing to be aware of is, ASU will never send emails from a third-party email address.
One more thing Schkade said to be on the lookout for are phishing emails.
"There are emails that generally ask you for things like personal information that might lead to some other information that you divulge so be on the lookout," Schkade said.
Schkade knows with the changes happening because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the stress of getting good grades can be a lot for a student to handle.
She wants to let students know her, and her staff are always here to help.
"So if you are having problems, if you're worried about school, you can't get your password , your computer's not working just stop take a deep breath and call our office for help," Schkade said.
The last bit of advice Schkade has for students is to change your username and password as often as possible.