More and more aspects of our lives are moving online. We can email, share personal stories and photos, shop, turn our house lights on and off...the list goes on. Amidst all of this, we must remember to consider the security of the information we have access to.
What Threats Should I Be Aware Of Now?
When we learn about strategies that we think the campus should be aware of, we will add them to this page. If you wish to remain informed, you can (if you are logged in) click the Watch menu at the top of the page and choose "Watch this page". That will send you an email when we share updates.
"You need to update your browser to view the content!"
There is a fake browser update scam, explained in this post from Oct 18, 2023, that tells you to click a link to update your browser in order to view a webpage. If you click the link, a trojan is installed on your computer - usually one that steals information. The latest evolution of this scam uses files saved as cryptocurrecy transactions.
So what should you do? Keep your browser up-to-date on your own! Each browser handles this slightly differently, but we've included links to the support pages for some common browsers here:
"Important Person X shared a document with you"
We don't always know when someone is planning to share a Google file with us ahead of time. However, if we are not expecting it, it is safer to contact the person (or, for important people, either their representative or the User Experience Team) to confirm that the file is legitimate. This holds true for unexpected links (Did a YouTube video remind someone of you, so they sent you the link? You could look up the video on YouTube, or give the person a call to double check.)
Where Can I Learn More?
A few sources for those looking at their online security include:
- Cybersecurity Basics from the FTC
- StaySafeOnline.org, a collection of resources from the National Cyber Security Alliance
- You can start here: Online Safety Basics
- Google's Safety Center, https://www.google.com/safetycenter/, with sections specifically for individuals and families
The topics referenced in most online security tip collections include:
- Passwords and passphrases
- Different passwords for each online account
- Long and complicated (passphrases are easier to remember but harder to crack)
- Password managers may help
- Multi-factor authentication
- Lock the screens on your devices (phone, tablet, computer)
- Update your devices and the software/applications on them
We hope this information helps you to better secure your information and the information shared with you!
Reviewed Oct 19, 2023