Identity Management Day 2022
April 12 is Identity Management Day. Learn about the people who protect your data by “giv[ing] the right people access to the right things at the right time.”
Author Archives: Matt Martin, ITS Privacy Office
Transition from Cosign to Shibboleth Authentication
The ITS Identity & Access Management team (IAM) has finalized plans to reach key milestones that will remove dependencies on the Cosign authentication service by summer 2022. Cosign has been the university’s secure, single sign-on, web authentication system for more than 20 years. Originally designed at U-M, the open source software was once widely used across higher education.… Read More »
Privacy Day keynote — Beyond privacy with Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna
U-M celebrated Privacy Day for the fifth year through a month’s worth of programming co-convened by ITS Information Assurance and the School of Information. At U-M’s 2022 Privacy Day keynote presentation, Dr. Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna, vice President for Global Privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum, walked her audience through the key concepts of privacy and data protection and… Read More »
Protecting your accounts and devices — an online self-defense workshop
The Security Privacy Interaction Lab (SPI Lab) at U-M, led by Florian Schaub, assistant professor in the School of Information and College of Engineering, is a team of researchers studying privacy and security issues in today’s digital world. As part of Privacy@Michigan — U-M’s Data Privacy Day celebration, Yixin Zou, a PhD student in the School of Information,… Read More »
Cybersecurity Challenge: Students pass pop quiz to win prizes
For more than 16 years, ITS Information Assurance (IA) has invited UM-Ann Arbor students, including medical students, to take an online quiz to raise awareness about IT security issues and promote best practices during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Those who score 90% or higher on the 10-question quiz are entered into a drawing for prizes. This year, students… Read More »
Two capabilities, one goal: Email security with Area 1 & Virtru
What’s one of the most important goals of IT security experts? It’s keeping your email secure. During this year’s SUMIT Reimagined online event series, Dennis Neil and brian cors presented on two tools that help protect our email: Area 1 and Virtru. Dennis Neil, IT Security Design and Engineering Manager in ITS Information Assurance (IA), explained how Area… Read More »
New training course: Practical guidance on HIPAA and Protected Health Information
Do people in your unit need training on meeting HIPAA requirements for working with Protected Health Information (PHI)? A new eLearning course in My LINC covers how to appropriately handle PHI in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA provides privacy and security rules that govern how PHI is collected, disclosed, and secured. For… Read More »
Beware of tech support scams
Have you ever seen a pop-up on your computer or received an unsolicited call urging you to contact “tech support?” Scammers sometimes impersonate IT support staff and claim something is wrong with your computer. They offer to help fix the problem—for a fee—but instead may steal your personal information or infect your computer with malicious software. This can… Read More »
New Video: IT Security—Our Shared Responsibility
IT security is a shared responsibility and we all need to do our part. Check out this new video to learn about your shared responsibility to protect U-M computing resources and data: IT Security—Our Shared Responsibility (2:07) As part of the U-M community, you’re provided with access to a wide variety of computing resources—and sometimes to very sensitive… Read More »
Report IT security incidents
If you encounter an actual or suspected IT security incident, it is vital that you report it as soon as possible so that work can begin to investigate and resolve it. This applies whether you are working from home or on campus. Take a minute to watch the ITS Information Assurance (IA) video: How to Report an IT… Read More »
Use “Personal and Private” folders for non-work files
Do you have personal, non-work files on your university-owned computer or in an online storage space provided by U-M? Help the university protect your privacy by storing them in a folder labeled Personal and Private.
Kerberos upgrade will end support for DES encryption
To improve security, ITS will upgrade Kerberos to version 1.18 in summer 2021 (likely in August). The upgrade will disable support for Data Encryption Standard (DES), which is an insecure and deprecated encryption type.
Tax fraud prevention tips
Beware! It’s that time of the year again! As you read this, criminals, fraudsters, and identity thieves could be working to file fraudulent tax returns in your name and steal your tax refund. ITS Information Assurance (IA) offers the following tips to help you protect yourself from identity theft and tax fraud: File your taxes as soon as… Read More »
Cybersecurity Challenge: Students pass pop quiz to win prizes
Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility at U-M—faculty, staff, and students. For more than 15 years, ITS Information Assurance (IA) has invited UM-Ann Arbor students, including medical students, to take an online quiz to raise awareness about IT security issues and promote best practices during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Over the last few years, this cybersecurity challenge has expanded to… Read More »
Cybersecurity Month wrap-up by the numbers
As shown above, highlights of Cybersecurity month include: 9 virtual training sessions covering topics like privacy and data use, using Duo two-factor authentication, data classification, and more 4 virtual drop-in Q&A sessions with security analysts 1000+ people sent and received email with Virtru enhanced email security 22K+ MiWorkspace and MiServer managed systems have CrowdStrike Falcon installed for enhanced… Read More »
Duo Restore function enabled for iOS and Android
A new Duo option makes it easier to reactivate the Duo Mobile app when you get a new device. Prior to October 23, 2020, if you got a new smartphone or tablet and wanted to reactivate the Duo Mobile app on it, you needed to use an alternate method of Duo two-factor (such as a phone call) or… Read More »
Collaboration on new HIPAA course for the Shared Services Center
Staff in the Shared Services Center (SSC) play an important role in properly handling sensitive institutional data, including data regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This past summer, the SSC decided it was time to update their HIPAA training, which they require annually of their staff. The SSC noticed that Information and Technology Services… Read More »
Do your part to deflect ransomware
Ransomware is on the rise and you have an important role to play in protecting U-M!!! Cybercriminals and other threat actors continue to ratchet up ransomware attacks on universities, healthcare providers, and other organizations. This summer Michigan State University and the University of California San Francisco, among others, have reported recent attacks. Ransomware attempts often begin with a… Read More »
You’ve got a site for that—Safe Computing
Wondering if that weird email you just got is a scam? Need to know how to get a new phone set up to do Duo two-factor authentication? Wondering how to secure your home network now that you are working and learning from home? Need to provide cybersecurity or privacy tips to a customer or colleague? You’ve got a… Read More »
New video: Working securely from home
Check out this new IT Security Tips for When You Work from Home video from ITS Information Assurance. It covers securing your devices and connections, protecting your privacy, and watching out for phishing, scams, and fraud. Please share it with others who may find it helpful. For more details and links to resources for working securely from home,… Read More »