Body
Shared or public computers like those in a library, lab, or hotel business center, can be a helpful resource when your own device isn’t available. However, these devices should be treated as if someone else will use them immediately after you—and potentially see anything you leave behind.
Faculty and staff should prioritize using University-managed devices and secure access methods (e.g., Single Sign-On with multi-factor authentication) when working with institutional data.
We’ve compiled five simple best practices to help you keep Villanova’s data and your personal information safe.
Best Practices
- Avoid logging into accounts with sensitive data whenever possible
- Personal examples: Online banking accounts, healthcare portals, or shopping accounts with stored payment information.
- Work-related examples: Systems containing student records, employee payroll information, or vendor contracts.
- Use private/incognito browsing
- This helps prevent the browser from saving your history and reduces the likelihood of storing session or authentication data locally.
- Never save your password
- Decline all prompts to save passwords, enable autofill, or remain logged in—even if you plan on using the device multiple times.
- Always log out of systems and applications
- When you’re finished, make sure you completely log out of anything you signed into before exiting the browser (including Single Sign-On sessions).
- You should also log out if you need to step away from the device, even for a short time, to avoid unwanted account access or accidental data exposure.
- Clear browsing data and delete downloaded files
- Even incognito browsers save cookies, cache, and files temporarily. Be sure to clear the data from the browser and delete any files you’ve downloaded before leaving the device.
If something feels off or you realize that you forgot to log out of an account on a public computer, we recommend that you update your password as a precaution.