This March, we ran a spotlight series on how good safety practice for different digital communication tools. This is as part of the first of this year’s quarterly digital safety, wellbeing and citizenship themes. Read on to learn how to keep your details safe in your emails, social media channels, video conferences, and attachments. 

Emails 

Many people do not know that your university or employer are allowed to access emails you send and receive from their email systems. The University of Edinburgh clarifies its rights to access emails on the university system in the University Computing Acceptable Use Policy. This is so organisations can protect themselves and their people from illegal activity, harassment and bullying. This power should not be abused by an organisation or employer. It is important to remember that your emails are not entirely private. 

Scammers use the name of colleagues, tutors, or managers to coerce you into clicking malicious links or buying and sending vouchers to steal your money. If an email looks suspicious;  

• Have a close look at the sender address; it often looks similar but not exactly like an official university address.  

• Verify with the sender on another platform, like Teams. 

• Think before you click! 

You’ve been pwned! If your email and password were part of a data breach, hackers may have access to your accounts with these details. Have I been pwned let’s you check if your email was part of a data breach. 

What is a data breach?  

A case where a person or organisation has lost, changed or shared their own or others’ personal data. This may happen intentionally or unintentionally and can cause physical, material, or emotional harm to those whose data is affected. 

Social media 

Check and amend your privacy settings. In a world where your data can make social media platforms money, the default settings are not always the most secure for your details. If you used a friends’ device to access your socials, log off to prevent unauthorised access. 

Social media platforms are a popular playground for scammers. They make fake accounts or hack real accounts to commit fraud. Some platforms have verification badges, although some use these badges to make money.  

Fraudulent activity on social media can take the form of phishing – a type of cyberattack where scammers impersonate a person or organisation you trust. Stop and think before you click on links or answer requests for personal details, and be wary of financial or goods trading offers that seem too good to be true and report suspicious messages or accounts. 

Report suspicious messages or accounts. Head to our Digital Safety, Wellbeing and Citizenship Hub for support if you want to report on social media. The National Cyber Security Centre also has guidance on recoververing hacked accounts. 

Video chat 

Make sure your software is secure. Download software from reputable sources. The University provides guidance on installing Microsoft 365 and using Teams. Whether you use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google meet or another platform – use a strong password and multi-factor authentication. And keep your video chat software up to date so it has the latest security features. 

Protect your privacy and be inclusive! Blurring your background can protect your privacy and make your video more inclusive. For example, by removing distractions for neurodivergent meeting attendees or hiding potentially triggering items in the background like alcohol or family photos. See this blog post by Jenny Winfield about trauma-informed video backgrounds. Similarly, staying muted when you are not speaking avoids distractions for others and protects your privacy. 

Running a meeting – Safe practice 

• Consider what type of meeting is appropriate – some platforms distinguish between meeting and webinars 

• Make use of your meeting access controls, like setting up passwords, waiting areas/ lobbies or organisation-only access where appropriate 

• Inform attendees if you are recording a meeting and give them time to react (for example by turning their cameras off)  

• Be prepared for AI-powered tools like automatic transcribers with a clear use policy and plan to deal with them. If you allow AI-powered tools, understand where and how the data they collect is stored, and who has access. 

• Don’t assume tech knowledge. Especially if you don’t know your audience, explain  

• House rules, like staying muted, asking questions in the chat or Q&A function, or how you would like to receive feedback 

• Basic tools and how to use them, like the mute button, hand-raising or common fixes for tech issues 

Tip: most video conference software providers have troubleshooting webpages explaining common fixes – you can post a link in the meeting chat. 

Attachments 

Don’t attach yourself to trouble! Good practice for sharing files online: 

• Only open files from trusted senders and check their email address as spammers sometimes use similar sounding names 

• Be cautious of executable files (.exe, .scr, .bat), compressed files (.zip, .rar), and document files with macros (.docm, .xlsm) 

• Keep your antivirus software up to date 

• Hover your mouse over links to see the true destination URL 

• Password protect your documents before sending if it contains especially sensitive information 

Also, consider the environmental impact of your attachments. An average worker generates an estimated 135kg CO2 per year by sending emails, that’s 200 miles driven in a car. Attachments make a considable dent – while an average email produces 4g CO2, one with attachment can climb up to 50g CO2 emission. To mitigate this, you could: 

• Consider whether you actually need to send this attachment 

• Send the recipient links to online/ cloud-based content management platforms (like SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox) 

• Compress files (e.g. zip) 

Consider that compressed files can seem suspicious. Only send them if the recipient expects them from you. 

Get in touch 

Did we miss a tool? Email us at is.skills@ed.ac.uk to chat more about digital tool safety tips, and how to protect your data when chatting online. We’re super excited for the final month of our Safe Online Communication series! 

Digital communication tools and how to keep them safe / Digital Skills, Design and Training by is licensed under a