CISO Memo: Don't Fall for Something in the Fall
I love the fall.
I enjoy the crispness in the air, the smell of apples, the misty fields in the morning, and the coolness of the evenings. I also love the passion for NCAA field hockey, the excitement of the baseball races, and the start of the NHL.
Because of the privilege of working at Brown, I also love the energy that the students bring to campus each fall, and the opportunity to interact with both new and returning professors. And, of course, I can't forget the weekly farmers' market.
I love the fall.
Unfortunately, fall also brings us an increase in phishing attacks, email scams, and infected computers. The Information Security Group, along with other CIS departments and technology personnel through the campus, work hard at defending against IT threats, while also responding quickly and expertly when called upon. However, we'd like this academic year to have the least amount of information security issues that we can.
That's why this October's "Nartional Cyber Security Awareness Month" will focus on "Digital Self-Defense". Each week throughout the month we'll highlight a different digital security topic that will help the entire Brown community in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Our topics will include protecting personal information, phishing scams, identity theft, social networks, and wireless communications. We'll be participating at the "Be Safe Brown!" event on October 1st, running weekly contests on-line, holding Brown bag sessions, and giving away some great prizes. We encourage you to participate, learn, and perhaps win something!
In the coming months, you'll also see information on the use and protection of passwords, and a focused effort on protecting personally identifiable information ("PII"). The threat of identity theft is real, getting increasingly prevalent, and is not going away. We'll be working on protecting PII at Brown while also providing strategies to protect yourselves.
So, as the leaves change, let's not change our security habits. Remember to never provide confidential information via email, and note that Brown will never ask you for your password! And as always, if an offer arrives in your Inbox that sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Don't "Fall" For It!
Enjoy the fall everyone!
As always, I welcome your feedback on all security topics (contact us at ISG@brown.edu). Remember, Sec_rity is not complete without U!
Problems with this page? Write to secureit@brown.edu