Defend Your Data

Together we can create a community that respects privacy, safeguards data and enables trust.

Through the Defend Your Data program, ITS promotes cybersecurity awareness to help WVU employees and students stay safer online, Our goal is to protect both University data and your personal information from people who want to steal it. We send announcements via ENEWS, UNEWS and social media, as well as occasional emails directly from DefendYourData@mail.wvu.edu to notify faculty, staff and students of particularly urgent or widespread threats.

We defend data by monitoring the campus network and blocking threats there. We also work to block spam delivery, and scan WVU-owned devices to remove both malware and improperly stored data. We create, update and enforce policies and practices to ensure personal data collected by the University remains private and secure.  Learn more at How We Defend Your Data.

What can you do?

The first line of defense in protecting Sensitive University Data is using a secure passphrase for your WVU Login. Never reuse your WVU Login passphrase for personal accounts or share your WVU Login credentials with anyone.

Never click on links or attachments in unexpected emails, particularly if they are from an unknown sender. If an email looks suspicious, forward it as an attachment to defendyourdata@mail.wvu.edu using these instructions.

Remember, ITS will NEVER send you an unsolicited email asking for your WVU Login username and password or other personally identifiable information. The only time you may be asked for that information is after you've contacted the Service Desk for assistance.

Report any real or suspected data breaches by clicking on the Report Issue at the top of this page, emailing defendyourdata@mail.wvu.edu or calling the Service Desk at 304-293-4444.

Learn more about securing your WVU Login and your personal accounts at How You Can Defend Your Data.