Cyber Security Awareness
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. As we rely more on technology based solutions in our everyday lives, cyber security becomes everyone’s responsibility. Today, the largest group of victims of identity theft is between the ages of 18 and 29. Students need to understand risks associated with devices in the electronic age and how to protect their personal information, their computer and ISU data network resources. In as much as we endeavor to serve as mentors and to educate our students we should all strive to convey the following information to them –not only during Cyber Security Awareness Month but all the time.
Know who you are dealing with online. As with the brick and mortar world, there are dishonest people on the Internet. However, due to the Internet’s anonymity it is easier for scammers to impersonate a legitimate business making it extremely important to know who you’re dealing with. If you are shopping on-line, check out the seller before you buy something. For example, a legitimate business or seller should provide you with a physical address and a working telephone number where they can be contacted in case you have any problems. In addition, legitimate businesses will NEVER ask you to send them an email containing your password.
Keep your web browser, operating system, and antivirus software up to date. When you connect your computer to the network it is essential that all of your software is up to date. The most important components from a security perspective are your web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera) and your computer operating system. The best way to do this is to make sure automatic updates are enabled.
Back up your important files. By creating backups of important data on a timely basis, you ensure that your data will never be lost. This will not eliminate the inconvenience associated with a hard drive crash or corruption, but, it beats the alternative of having to recreate tens, hundreds, or even thousands of lost files. Another option is to make sure you store your data on a centrally managed OIT server which are backed up nightly.
Use security software tools as your first line of defense. Always make sure you have antivirus software installed and that it is configured to automatically receive updates to virus definition files. Malware prevention tools can be used to help remove Trojan horse viruses and other malicious software designed specifically to damage or disrupt your system. These programs are available at http://downloads.indstate.edu
Use strong passwords or strong authentication
technology to help protect your personal information. A
strong password should appear to be a random string of characters to an
attacker. It should be at least eight characters long (minimum). It should
include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and
symbols. To test the strength of your password visit
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/passwords/checker.aspx
Learn what to do if something goes wrong.
At ISU this is as simple as contacting the Office of Information Technology
Help Desk either via email at:
IT-Help@indstate.edu or calling 2910.