TheInformation Commissioner's Office(ICO) is urging new and returning university students
toprotect
their personal informationas the new academic
year approaches.
By
safeguarding their personal information at a time when they are
likely to be invited to sign up for new services and societies,
students can lower their risk of falling victim to identity theft,
said the ICO.
A survey conducted by the Information Commissioner's Office
revealed that young people appear to protect their personal
information less well than any other age group.
It found that 56% use the same passwords for more than one
account. And one in five fails to properly destroy bank statements
or receipts before throwing them in the bin.
David Smith, deputy commissioner at the ICO, said, "Protecting
your personal information has never been so important. Almost every
day we give out our personal details which can leave us open to
identity theft, unwanted marketing and a loss of privacy.
"Students can be particularly vulnerable around this time of
year. It can also be very irritating being pestered by unwanted
marketing calls, text messages and junk mail, particularly if it
involves unwittingly signing up for a service you are then charged
for."
A free guide -
the ICO's Personal Information Toolkit - is available to help
students protect and manage their personal information.
The toolkit includes advice and tips on how to access the
information that organisations hold about you, how to correct
inaccurate information and how to reduce unwanted marketing calls
and texts.