Presenter: Chibuike Francis Onyeocha

Faculty Sponsor: Clarissa Codrington

School: Massachusetts Bay Community College

Research Area: Cybersecurity

Session: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM, Auditorium, A85

ABSTRACT

College students face a growing problem, their heavy reliance on campus networks, learning management systems, personal devices, and mobile apps exposes them to frequent cyber threats phishing targeting student email and course portals, malware delivered through shared lab computers, attacks that exploit outdated software on laptops and phones, and data interception on unsecured dorm or cafe Wi‑Fi because many students lack consistent, campus‑specific security habits. This poster argues that the solution lies in simple, everyday cybersecurity practices tailored to student life like using strong, unique passwords and multi‑factor authentication for school accounts, keeping operating systems and campus‑issued software up to date, disabling auto‑connect and using VPNs on public or dorm networks, and applying phishing‑recognition skills to messages that impersonate professors, financial aid offices, or campus services. Drawing on scholarly research and campus best practices, the study shows that these low-effort behaviors directly block the most common attack vectors students encounter and that institutional support, orientation training, enforced patch management, secure campus Wi‑Fi, and accessible IT help amplify their effectiveness. When students consistently apply these basic, context-aware practices and institutions provide supportive systems, student vulnerability to common cyberattacks drops substantially; moreover, campuses benefit through reduced service disruptions, lower remediation costs, preserved academic integrity, and strengthened institutional reputation, supporting the thesis that cybersecurity on campus is both an individual responsibility and a shared institutional obligation.