It’s a question we should all ask ourselves from time to time, “What would Pete do?” In the video below, the Oklahoma State University Student Conduct Committee discusses how to handle some tough situations that occur during student’s careers here at OSU. Watch and tell us your thoughts.

A recent breech of a website’s user database revealed more than 188,279 passwords.  A Wall Street Journal examination of those passwords found the top ten most common passwords included: 123456, password, qwerty, abc123, and 111111.

A strong password is the first step to protecting your information. If your password is compromised, personal information could be revealed which in turn can lead to unauthorized access by others  to sensitive sites including financial accounts. The domino effect can ultimately lead to identity theft.

OKStateU requires a University email and password to gain access. Making that password safe and secure is up to you.

Test your password:

Is it unique? Not just the password but does every site you access have its own unique password? A breach in one account can quickly lead to a domino effect of multi-account hacking.

Is it long?  The longer it is, the more difficult it will be to attack.

Is it creative? Passwords should include as many different characters as possible including numbers and when possible, punctuation characters and mixed upper and lower-case letters.

Is it personal? – Personal information, such as your birthday, can be easy to figure out.  Avoid anything you are closely associated with including hobbies, friends and family names, etc.

Can you look it up? – Single words, geographical names, or biographical names should always be avoided. They are easy to hack with a simple program.

Is the location where you store your passwords secure? Don’t leave passwords out in the open where roommates, classmates and co-workers can easily see them. While it is important to keep a copy of your passwords in a safe place where they can be accessed should something happen, make sure they are hidden from others’ view.

Does anyone else have access to the location where you store your passwords? Limit areas where you store your passwords and who has access to them. Also, make sure you don’t store them in files that someone could inadvertently share.

Have you changed it in the last 90 days? – Every ninety days the university sends a reminder to change your university email password. It is good practice to change all your passwords at the same time.

How do you keep safe online? Share your tips below.

If you have we hope you all are enjoying the site and all it has to offer. To learn more about the site and its functionality you might want to visit our “How To” site. If you have any questions or suggestions you can post them there or on our OKStateU group.

As a reminder, this was created specifically for you, our awesome students, so please let us know if there is anything we can do to make the experience better. If you haven’t joined, there’s no time like the present. Simply visit click the and click the join button. For more information visit How to Join.

You’ve found OKStateU, the center of the OKState online world but now its time to explore all the other social channels we inhabit. Links to OKState Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Flickr and more (yes, even MySpace) can all be found at one place, news.okstate.edu/social-media. And don’t forget, when you post socially, be sure to use the hashtag #OKState.