Phishing Scheme Targets Professors

Beware of a phishing scheme that has been targeting college professors.  The email scam starts off with asking for help with something important and then after your reply asks you to purchase something while convincing you that they are your supervisor by using a created email account with your supervisor's name.  You can read more about this scam here:  https://www.chronicle.com/article/Phishing-Scheme-Targets/245535

Campus Security Campaign - January 2019

 The internet is full of data about you. Whenever you play a game, shop, browse websites, or use any of numerous apps, your activity and some of your personal information may be collected and shared.
Similarly, the business of higher education requires us to collect, process, and store the digital information of others. Whenever we handle such information, we need to think about how we want our own information treated and treat other people's data with the same care and respect.
Protect yourself by following these tips:

• Know what you are sharing. Check the privacy settings on all of your social media accounts; some even include a wizard to walk you through the settings. Always be cautious about what you post publicly.
• Guard your date of birth and telephone number. These are key pieces of information used for identity and account verification, and you should not share them publicly. If an online service or site asks you to share this critical information, consider whether it is important enough to warrant it.
• Keep your work and personal presences separate. Your employer has the right to access your email account, so you should use an outside service for private emails. This also helps you ensure uninterrupted access to your private email and other services if you switch employers.

Protect the information, identity, and privacy of others by following these tips:

• Know what resources are available at your institution. Colleges and universities might employ individuals with some of the following titles and responsibilities: compliance officer, who can help you navigate the laws and regulations that govern how your institution handles constituents' personal data and what safeguards need to be implemented to ensure the data stay secure; data privacy officer, who can answer questions about how your institution protects the privacy of both your data and constituents' data; and a(n) (chief) information security officer, who can answer questions about information security best practices and the technologies available to protect online identity and the personal data of constituents.
• Know what policies are in place at your institution. A privacy policy governs how the institution collects, processes, stores, and deletes the personal data of constituents; a data classification policy governs how the institution organizes the data it interacts with and what rules are in place for processing it; and an information security policy articulates how the institution governs and prioritizes information security activities.
• Keep constituents' personal information confidential and limit access to the data.
• Only use data for its intended purpose. If you need to use data for another reason, always check relevant resources and policies first for guidance.
• Destroy or de-identify private information when you no longer need it.

Campus Security Campaign - December 2018

Without a doubt, the Internet of Things makes our lives easier and has many benefits; but we can only reap these benefits if our Internet-enabled devices are secure and trusted. Here are some tips from the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign and National Cyber Security Alliance to increase the security of your Internet-enabled devices:

• Keep a clean machine. Like your smartphone or PC, keep any device that connects to the Internet free from viruses and malware. Update antivirus and anti-malware software regularly on the device itself as well as the apps you use to control the device.
• Think twice about your device. Have a solid understanding of how a device works, the nature of its connection to the Internet, and the type of information it stores and transmits.
• Secure your network. Properly secure the wireless network you use to connect Internet-enabled devices. Don't forget to use a strong password and update software regularly to protect your Wi-Fi router at home.
• Understand how to keep IoT devices up to date. This includes any software updates that might be needed and passwords or other ways of securing devices.
• Understand what's being collected. Most IoT devices require data collection. Take the time to understand what information your connected devices collect and how that information is managed and used.
• Where does your data go? Many IoT devices will send information to be stored in the cloud. Understand where your data will reside and the security protecting your personal information.
• Do your research! Before you adopt a new smart device, research it to make sure others have had positive experiences with the device from a security and privacy perspective.

Campus Security Campaign - November 2018

The holiday season is the perfect time for cybercriminals to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers. When you go to the grocery store or local shop, it's habit to grab your reusable bags, lock the car, and make sure you've safely put away your credit card or cash before heading home with the day's purchases. Similar precautions need to be taken when you're shopping online from the comfort of your own home. If you make these simple precautions regular online shopping habits, you'll be protecting your purchases and personal information.

The National Cyber Security Alliance recommends following these basic steps so you'll be ready to cybershop safely and securely.

• Lock down your login. One of the most critical things you can do in preparation for the online shopping season is to fortify your online accounts by enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics, security keys or a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device. Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like e-mail, banking, and social media.
• Keep clean machines. Before searching for that perfect gift, be sure that all web-connected devices—including PCs, mobile phones, smartphones, and tablets—are free from malware and infections by running only the most current versions of software and apps.
• Shop reliable websites online. Use the sites of retailers you trust. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
• Conduct research. When using a new website for your holiday purchases, read reviews and see if other customers have had a positive or negative experience with the site.
• Personal information is like money: value it and protect it. When making a purchase online, be alert to the kinds of information being collected to complete the transaction. Make sure you think it is necessary for the vendor to request that information. Remember that you only need to fill out required fields at checkout.
• Get savvy about Wi-Fi hotspots. If you are out and about, limit the type of business you conduct over open public Wi-Fi connections, including logging in to key accounts, such as e-mail and banking. Adjust the security settings on your device to limit who can access your phone. If you must use open Wi-Fi connections, connect to a virtual private network (VPN) first.
• Check the address bar. Look for the green lock icon and https:// in the URL before using your credit card online.

Campus Security Campaign - October 2018

Cybercriminals use phishing—a type of social engineering—to manipulate people into doing what they want. Social engineering is at the heart of all phishing attacks, especially those conducted via e-mail. Technology makes phishing easy. Setting up and operating a phishing attack is fast, inexpensive, and low risk: any cybercriminal with an e-mail address can launch one.
According to Verizon's 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report, the education sector saw a rise in social engineering–based attacks. Students, staff, and faculty all suffered losses when personal data and research were disclosed to unauthorized parties. Phishing played a part in more than 40% of these breaches. Knowing what you're up against can help you be more secure. Here are a few things you can do to guard against phishing attacks:

• Limit what you share online. The less you share about yourself, the smaller the target you are for a phishing attack. Cybercriminals use information you post online to learn how to gain your trust.
• Protect your credentials. No legitimate company or organization will ask for your username and password or other personal information via e-mail. Your school definitely won't. Still not sure if the e-mail is a phish? Contact your IT help desk. (Many institutions now offer a "phish bowl" so end users can quickly and easily report phishy messages or view the latest scams.)
• Beware of attachments. E-mail attachments are the most common vector for malicious software. When you get a message with an attachment, delete it—unless you are expecting it and are absolutely certain it is legitimate.
• Confirm identities. Phishing messages can look official. Cybercriminals steal organization and company identities, including logos and URLs that are close to the links they're trying to imitate. There's nothing to stop them from impersonating schools, financial institutions, retailers, and a wide range of other service providers.
• Trust your instincts. If you get a suspicious message that claims to be from an agency or service provider, use your browser to manually locate the organization online and contact them via their website, e-mail, or telephone number.
• Check the sender. Check the sender's e-mail address. Any correspondence from an organization should come from an organizational e-mail address. A notice from your college or university is unlikely to come from YourIThelpdesk@yahoo.com.
• Take your time. If a message states that you must act immediately or lose access, do not comply. Phishing attempts frequently threaten a loss of service unless you do something. Cybercriminals want you to react without thinking; an urgent call to action makes you more likely to cooperate.
• Don't click links in suspicious messages. If you don't trust the e-mail (or text message), don't trust the links in it either. Beware of links that are hidden by URL shorteners or text like "Click Here." They may link to a phishing site or a form designed to steal your username and password.

Brief Banner Interruption 10/3/18

The morning of 10/3/18 from 7:00-8:00 there will be a brief interruption for accessing Banner.  ITEC is changing some of their back-end communication ports to prepare for the release of Banner 9, and this step is part of the required maintenance to get us to Banner 9.

Campus Security Campaign - September 2018

The only way to protect yourself against valuable data loss is through regular backups. Ideally, important files should be backed up at minimum once a week, or every day, depending on how critical they are to you. This can be done manually, automatically, or using combination of the two methods. (Briefly review this 2017 backup awareness survey to see how often most computer owners backup their data. Do you fall into the daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or never category?)
When it comes to backups, just like security, you want to find a balance of being thorough but efficient. We have all heard disastrous stories of losing homework due to the blue screen of death or a misplaced cell phone that tragically stored the only copy of family photos. In addition, you could fall victim to ransomware or another malicious attack that leaves you with no choice but to reimage your computer. It never hurts to consider your backup strategy and come up with a plan that leaves you feeling safe and secure. Here are some tips to get you started.

• Data loss happens all the time, but it is entirely preventable. You just need to create a backup plan.
• Your critical data should never reside in a single place.
• The ideal backup strategy will typically include both an online backup service (e.g., Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive, CrashPlan, iCloud) and an offline backup utility (e.g., external hard drives, flash drives) to ensure your data is secure no matter what happens to your mobile device or computer.
• Running consistent, automatic backups is a straightforward process that will take little time to set up and will require even less to maintain.
• Backups can be configured to run in real time when files on your computer are changed.
• Routinely test your backup solution to ensure you can recover your data in the event that you do actually need to restore from a backup.