Who keeps hackers out? You do – by following these six simple tips
Keeping the information we process safe is a shared responsibility. By incorporating these six simple habits into your daily work routines, you can make a big contribution to your own security – and to AU’s.

Firewalls, two-factor authentication and antivirus programs are examples of technical defences that protect AU’s data. But these kinds of defences can’t defend against human error – the kinds of slipups it’s easy to make when you have your eye on the clock at work.
That’s why good habits and practices among all employees is a cornerstone when it comes to protecting the information and data that’s part of our daily work at Aarhus University. We’ve boiled what you need to know and do about information security down to six simple shortcuts. We’ve launched a campaign to get the word out, and in coming weeks, you’ll see the six shortcuts on posters, stickers and even boxes of pastilles around campus.The six shortcuts to information security are:
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Think before you click.
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Never share your login.
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Lock your pc when you leave.
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Only use your work password for work.
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Be vigilant when you’re on the road.
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Keep confidential data confidential.
Department welcomes campaign
There’s already a strong focus on improving our information security culture in many places at AU.
For example at the Department of Public Health, where researchers deal with sensitive personal data about the health of the Danish population on a daily basis. As Cecilia Ramlau-Hansen, head of a section at the department, explains:
"We perform ongoing risk assessments of all of our systems to identify threats and vulnerabilities as well as the measures we need to take to counter them. We’re also focussed on ensuring that information security is high on the agenda for management and that certain things are followed up on.” Ramlau-Hansen welcomes the new campaign materials, which highlight how important it is that individual employees take steps to protect AU’s data. She says:
“Naturally, we’re highly focused on making sure that unauthorised users don’t get access to our systems, but this has also heightened our awareness of other issues. We have to remember not to let anyone else in when we enter a building. And to make sure that no one else can see our computer screen when we’re working. These are the next issues we have to focus on.”
Deputy director: We must keep in mind that we are a target for espionage
Even though the six shortcuts might seem like commonsense, there’s a good reason to single them out for attention, according to Peter Bruun Nielsen, the deputy university director who heads AU IT. For example, it’s really important not to use your AU password for other platforms such as social media and streaming services, he says:
“Social media like Facebook and LinkedIn get hacked, and usernames and passwords get leaked. If you use the same login credentials that you use for your AU account, you’re giving hackers free access to AU’s data.
“Even though it’s hard to remember different passwords, it’s one of the most important things we can do as individuals to protect our data. As a university, we have valuable research and information, and we’re a target for hacking and espionage. So it’s just really important that we have good habits.”
You’ll find more advice on information security at informationssikkerhed.au.dk.
The six shortcuts to security are being communicated through posters, stickers and pastille boxes as part of a program to improve cybersecurity at AU that will run until 2027. One of the objectives of the program is to boost the general information security culture at the university.