Better Safe than Sorry: Student Security

It was Internet Safety Day on 5^th February, raising awareness of the potential threats of online activity.

Cyber safety is a very prevalent issue right now and maybe a few of you should be setting your profile settings to private since many employers are snooping around our Facebook and Twitter accounts to get a glimpse of the ‘real’ you. I know I don’t write statuses about my diligence and other CV-related traits, but instead upload pictures of the various cocktails I consumed that night… and then several pictures of the result.

But let’s not forget that as students we become vulnerable to new types of threats we may not have experienced before. Yes, slightly boring but we all know that the Southampton ghetto can be a scary place.

Josh Nixon of the Combative Self-Protection System which provides a ‘holistic approach to health, fitness, self-protection and personal security’ highlights the main issues we face throughout student life in his article.

Property

Students bring along with them many ‘pinch-able’ items like laptops and smart phones. To prevent you becoming a victim of theft, the CSPS article suggests installing an online service by Fork Ltd called Prey onto your laptop and mobile phone,

With this, you can attempt to find out where your stolen laptop is, lock it, change its passwords remotely, delete data from it so the thief can’t get at your details and even take photos of the thief when they try to use the laptop! It should be said that this is recommended as information to give to the police – not to go on a vigilante thief-hunt with!”

For those of you living in a rented property, you must be aware of the fact that student properties are commonly targeted. The article advises logging your belongings on immobilise.com so that if your property is stolen you can use Immobilise to instantly tell police, insurers, and the second-hand trade.

An article from Nottingham Police adds:

Thieves frequently target student properties because they know students have rarely lived away from home before and may not be as security conscious as other people. Student properties are particularly at risk of being burgled at the beginning of each term and after Christmas when students bring new possessions with them”

Social

After last year’s stories of the sex attacker in Southampton, we all know the importance of not walking home alone after a night out. Many of us can’t be bothered with the walk anyway and opt for the taxi option. This initially seems like the safest choice, but there are several considerations we must take when getting a taxi, such as do not get in un-marked cars, make sure the driver’s  badge and license number are clearly visible and do not let any strangers join your taxi (read more on taxi safety here)

Peer pressure is something we’ve all been educated about, such as knowing we should feel comfortable saying “no”. But there is also the issue of not locking doors,

Due to peer pressure, many don’t lock their doors, which is a serious issue for personal security. At one end of the scale, not locking your door leaves you open to practical jokes and trolling and at the other end, it provides an opportunity for theft, information-gathering or even ambush… My way of remembering this is simple: if it’s unlocked, consider it open.”

Types of crime in Bedford Place

The aim of this is not to make you paranoid. We don’t want you eyeing up everyone in the library and hissing at them as you walk past clutching your laptop for dear life. Instead, just adopt “a mindset of readiness”. After all, it’s better to be prepared for anything, no matter what the chances are!

 To read the full CSPS article, click here