Archive for the ‘Security’ Category
Identify Phishing Attacks
Phishing emails look authentic. They often have links to exact replicas of our portals, spoofed sender addresses, and malicious attachments with convincing file names. How Do I Identify Phishing? Closely examining website addresses, email links, and sender addresses can help you determine if an email is legitimate or not. One simple way to do this is by using the […]
Why You Need a Password Manager
As technology professionals, we make password demands that can feel unreasonable. We want you to: 1. Use a strong password. 2. Set unique passwords for every service you use. 3. Reset all of your passwords frequently. 4. Never reuse a password. 5. Never write any of these passwords down anywhere. Of course, we have really good reasons for all of […]
Skip the Login Screen with the OleMiss_v2 Wireless Network
The pop-up login screen for the OleMiss wireless network is one of the most common technology “pain points” reported by UM faculty and students. If you use the OleMiss network, you are familiar with the problem: you are using your computer or mobile device when a screen pops up prompting you to re-enter your webid […]
Protecting Sensitive Data
Information security is an evolving challenge. This responsibility is shared by all UM employees, students, vendors, and everyone else who contributes to our academic community. Consider for a moment the illustration shown on the explosion of digital information. This exponential growth is being driven by an increasing number of intelligent connected devices. Inevitably, this trend will also continue making […]
Security Tip from the Matrix: There is no Free iPad
As the fall semester begins, expect more emails disguised as free offers for computers, cures for back pain, amazing job opportunities, and even assistance from Microsoft’s Helpdesk. It is safe to consider the majority of these unsolicited emails as phishing attempts, with the goal of enticing you to click on website links in order to […]
Avoid the Burn: Practical Security Advice to Protect You and Your Computer during the Summer
In IT, we frequently answer questions concerning online security topics like email phishing scams attempting to steal your passwords, computer viruses and even sophisticated denial of service attacks. We must remember that the physical security of computers, tablets, and phones also remains a major concern. Recently, an individual attempted to gain access to a vital […]
What is eduroam?
eduroam (education roaming) is the secure worldwide federated network access service developed for the international research and education community. It provides per-user, per-session encrypted network access for visitors from participating institutions, without the need to gain guest credentials on arrival to an eduroam enabled location. The connectivity is instantaneous and the infrastructure is authenticated by the […]
Tech Support Call Scam Leads to Malware & Financial Loss
This is being redistributed at the request of Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services. The original distribution date was October 30, 2013. Recent occurrences are being reported. The Risk: Malicious actors use call centers to cold call victims in an attempt to gain access to the victim’s computer, install malware, steal personally identifiable information (PII), and […]
Mobile Devices: Safety & Privacy Considerations
With the proliferation of mobile devices in our lives and the trend of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) on campuses, teachers and students need to be more aware of the safety and privacy concerns related to mobile devices. Users are three times more likely to give out sensitive information on a mobile device and fall […]
Protect Your UM Passwords!
The University email system has been inundated lately with phishing emails. These take various forms and purport to come from both people and groups you know. This illuminates one key point the IT security awareness presentation emphasizes, that the “From” part of an email message is easily forged by criminals to lead you into believing a message comes from a legitimate source.