Protecting Confidential Information - It's In Your Hands!

We handle highly confidential information every day - and most of us don't give it much thought.

Do you carry credit cards in your purse or wallet? A driver's license or ID? Some of you might carry a Social Security card (hopefully not!). You might have an appointment with a doctor who will ask you personal information and then document it in your chart. Maybe you just stayed in a hotel and used one of those card keys that you then turned in to the registration desk at the end of your stay - coded with all of your personal information. You may be going out to lunch with a colleague and you pay for it with a credit card that disappears with the waiter for a minute or two. When you return home after work, you might have bills waiting for you and most of them have a lot of confidential information in them.

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Top Security Threats Predicted for 2007

Malware threats to watch include increase in password-stealing web sites, more spam, and likelihood of hackers targeting video  

The anti-virus, computer security company McAfee has announced its top ten predictions for security threats in 2007. According to McAfee Avert Labs data, with more than 217,000 various types of known threats and thousands more as yet unidentified, the emerging trend is the release of threats by professional and organized criminals.

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eCards May Deliver More Than Holiday Greetings

Here's a seasonal reminder. Take care when you find eCards in your mailbox from a name you don't recognize. It could be a long-lost relative, but chances are, it's not. Read the full eCards story for tips on how to spot the phishing scams.

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Inside IT Security at Brown: Clifford Hirschman

Clifford Hirschman is Director of Information Technology for the Division of Biology and Medicine. His team serves Brown Medical School, six academic Biology departments, and the Program in Public Health. It provides computer procurement, desktop support, application and website development services, and systems consulting.

Prior to his arrival at Brown three years ago, Cliff served as Director of Application Development at Children’s Hospital—Boston, and as a management consultant to clients such as the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System.

Q: What are your responsibilities as Director of Information Technology for the Division of Biology and Medicine?

A: The majority of my staff provides desktop support. They set up and troubleshoot desktop computers, and serve as a "front end" for CIS’s network team in investigating network problems.

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