Jan 26, 2016
Langara was recently notified of a cyber security risk with Pearson online learning which you may be using in your classes. Pearson does not encrypt user names or passwords for the services we use, which puts you at risk. Please note that they are an external vendor; therefore, this security flaw has no direct impact on Langara systems.
What you should do:
If you have an account with Pearson, change your password immediately. Ensure that it is unique and not used for other websites or services. (Statistically, over 80% of people repeat the same password for multiple sites.)
What are the implications?
Because they do not secure or encrypt your user name or password in any way, your account is vulnerable to being compromised. Someone could take over your account without authorization and, if you are using the same password for other websites or services, this could potentially lead to identity theft or credit card fraud.
Tips for creating strong passwords:
- Make it at least eight characters long.
- Use a variety of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Do not include your user name, real name, or company name.
- Do not include a complete word.
- Make it different from previous passwords.
Please read these instructions on Pearson's website on how to change your password.