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When Systems Go Down, Stay on Guard

Secure 16-Character Passphrases for NetIDs

Do You Gamble with Your Cornell Email?

Checklist: Before You Arrive

1. Review computer recommendations and consider the Cornell Store for your technology needs.
2. Activate your NetID and set your NetID password recovery email.
   • Learn more about your NetID, including what services it can give you access to.
3. Set up Cornell Two-Step Login.
4. View your registration, enrollment, student financials, course options, and more
5. Learn more about Google Workspace for Students, which includes your default email account, and review important email guidelines.
6. Register for campus Wi-Fi with eduroam - Some students have reported that onboarding with Cornell’s network interfered with their current school’s eduroam network connection. If your school uses eduroam, consider waiting until arriving on campus to do this step.
7. Activate your Cornell Zoom account.
8. Uninstall filesharing programs to avoid copyright infringement risks.

IT Resources

• How To

  • Get IT Support.
  • Connect to campus Wi-Fi (eduroam) and register a Device That Doesn't Have a Browser (Video Game Consoles, Smart TVs, etc.).
  • Install CU Print and find CU Print printers on campus.
  • Use Canvas to access course materials.
  • Download the Microsoft 365 suite for free and find licensed software.
  • Visit the university's computer labs to work on projects, print, or use software you don't have.
  • Book a study space (quiet space, Zoom space, or small group space).

  • Learn new skills for free with LinkedIn Learning and Skillsoft.

     

• Collaborate

  • Zoom is a full-featured web and video conferencing service for online meetings and webinars.
  • Microsoft Teams provides real-time collaboration and communication, virtual meeting capabilities, and easy file sharing.

   

• Stay Secure

  • Protect your devices and stay safe online.
  • Report if your NetID password is compromised.
  • Use these tips to identify email scams and see examples of phishing emails that have been spotted at Cornell.
  • Apply best practices to your mobile device.
  • Use Cornell's VPN (virtual private network) service when you need to connect to campus resources that would otherwise be unavailable from distant networks.
  • Use Cornell Secure File Transfer.
  • Make sure your computer has antivirus software.

   

• Research Tools

  Qualtrics Survey Tool

  Cornell provides a survey tool, Qualtrics, for use at no cost by Cornell students, faculty, staff, and retirees. Users can create and distribute their own surveys and gather information in support of the university's educational mission and organizational goals.

  CCSS

  The Cornell Center for Social Sciences is a strategic partner who can help take your research to the next level with a full continuum of tools and expertise. We offer a range of support, technology, and collaboration in each of our focus areas: data services, research, computing resources, consulting, and training.

  CAC

  Cornell University's Center for Advanced Computing offers staff and students research education and outreach, as well as computing and consulting services that range from HPC systems and storage to programming, database development, and web portal design.

   

• Artificial Intelligence

  • Try ZoomAI Companion to generate meeting notes and summaries.
  • Use Copilot for experimenting with generative AI text, image, and coding tools.
     

A Message from Robert Edamala, Chief Information Security Officer

Dear Cornell students,

I am writing with a reminder to be vigilant about cybersecurity. Please follow the guidance below to protect your personal information and to protect university tools and accounts. Cybercriminals and other wrongdoers will seek to take advantage of difficult moments to seek out vulnerabilities, and Cornell’s IT Security Office has observed increased malicious activity targeting the university community.

Take these steps to protect yourself and others from cyberattacks:

• Protect your personal details from online harassment. If you or someone you know is affected, get support, report it, and learn how technology services can help prevent it.
• Update your computers, mobile devices, and software when prompted, and run antivirus software. AI helps cybercriminals find and exploit vulnerabilities faster, so security updates and computer restarts are needed more frequently. 
• If you haven’t already, create a strong new NetID password. Any NetID password older than February 14, 2026, must be updated. Never share your NetID password or reuse it on non-Cornell websites, and watch for phishing emails designed to steal it (see the Phish Bowl for examples).
• Protect your Cornell and personal accounts with multifactor authentication. For Cornell Duo, never approve a prompt you did not initiate or share the three-digit verification code. An unexpected prompt may mean your NetID password has been stolen; change it immediately and contact the IT Security Office. IT will never ask for your Duo code or NetID password.
• Get tips to recognize and report social engineering attempts and scams. Hackers use AI to personalize phishing messages, clone voices, create video deepfakes, and gather information from public social media accounts

Upcoming awareness activities and training 

During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, Cornell’s IT Security Office will share simple ways to stay safe online.

Later this fall, student employees will complete the annual ITSO 100 Cybersecurity Training and Attestation.

Thank you for helping improve cybersecurity at Cornell.

Robert Edamala
Chief Information Security Officer
Information Technology at Cornell