The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect on May 25, 2018. In five years, it has affected changes to business processes and technology around the world and has paved the way for the adoption of privacy legislation in many countries and a number of U.S. states.
A recent alert from the Joint Ransomware Task Force (JRTF) warns about the accelerated growth of tactics used by ransomware actors. Founded in 2022, the JRTF acts as an interagency collaborative effort to reduce the prevalence and impact of ransomware attacks and is comprised of members from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of… Read More »
The University of Michigan is committed to protecting the security of its information resources and the privacy of its students, faculty, and staff, but reaching community members with relevant and engaging information about cybersecurity and privacy can be a challenge. ITS Information Assurance (IA) has created a Library of resources to help our fellow Wolverines stay informed, create… Read More »
The Biden Administration released a National Cybersecurity Strategy in March. It has been covered extensively in national media, reflecting heightened attention to the government’s response to growing cybersecurity threats.
The annual Identity Management Day was held on April 11 to celebrate the importance of identity management. Identity information is incredibly valuable to cybercriminals and, when stolen, can allow unauthorized access to university systems and data. According to the 2022 Ponemon Institute State of Cybersecurity Report, 54% of security incidents are caused by credential theft. ITS Information Assurance… Read More »
Information Assurance (IA) is committed to continually improving and streamlining capabilities, tools, and resources that support all of our shared responsibility to protect U-M systems and data. To this end, we are announcing changes to some key IA tools that will improve our unit partners’ ability to analyze and reduce security threats and risks for their units. New… Read More »
Did you know that if you use an iPhone or iPad to log into U-M websites, you don’t have to type your password every time you log in? Your Apple biometrics (FaceID or TouchID) provides a secure option. You just have to take a few minutes to set it up first. Check out this new video to see… Read More »
It’s tax season! 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. According to their latest report, IRS Criminal Investigation has identified over $5.7 billion in tax fraud in 2022 alone. ITS Information Assurance (IA) offers some tips to help protect yourself… Read More »
The U-M Dissonance Event Series explores issues at the intersection of technology, policy, privacy, security, and law, and seeks to increase university-wide, multidisciplinary discourse. ITS Information Assurance and Dissonance hosted a panel discussion of Shalini Kantayya’s film Coded Bias in 2021. The filmmaker’s latest documentary, TikTok, Boom., told another complex story that spurred a thoughtful and engaging conversation… Read More »
ITS Information Assurance is excited to announce the latest from the Dissonance Event Series. You are invited to a free, on-demand screening of the documentary film TikTok, Boom. and a conversation with the filmmaker Shalini Kantayya. March 6 through March 15 – Virtual screening of TikTok, Boom.Join us for a virtual screening of TikTok, Boom. The film examines… Read More »
With Black History Month winding down and International Women’s Day around the corner, ITS Information Assurance (IA) celebrates Black women in cybersecurity. In the face of racist institutional policies and segregation laws in 1940s and 1950s America, Black women, such as Annie Briggs, Ethel Just, and the Black “code girls” of Arlington Hall, blazed trails in a field… Read More »
UMSI Ph.D. candidate Kaiwen Sun showcased her most recent work, focused on the intersection of children’s privacy and safety, smart home technologies, and human-computer interaction, in a thought-provoking presentation as part of the 2023 Privacy@Michigan event series.
Having a presence on the internet in any form means there’s a real possibility you’ve faced online harassment or witnessed someone become a victim of it. A Pew Research Center survey found that 41% of Americans have experienced some form of this type of harassment, which is defined as the “pervasive or severe targeting of an individual or… Read More »
As headlines and research reports reveal, cyber threats are steadily increasing across all sectors, including higher education institutions. Higher ed’s decentralized, more open IT environments create higher risks, and allow for cyberattacks that can cause entire institutions to shutdown. At U-M, we take a layered approach to IT security. In addition to network protections, and advanced endpoint protection… Read More »
At the University of Michigan, we have a commitment to respecting and protecting the privacy of our community members and guests. In the summer of 2022, the U-M Privacy Office decided to put that commitment to the test on U-M websites. ITS Information Assurance (IA) used the real-time website privacy inspection tool Blacklight to scan the top 50… Read More »
On December 8, an MCommunity release improved deactivated and expired group functionality. Instead of deleting groups as they do today, owners now deactivate groups, thus affording all owners an option to restore groups. My Groups in MCommunity now includes a new Trash tab showing group owners all their deactivated and expired groups. Owners can recover groups for 30… Read More »
The capstone of the 17th Security at University of Michigan IT (SUMIT) event series was a thought-provoking presentation and conversation on digital protection of the press and at-risk individuals. In Adventures in Securing At-Risk People, Runa Sandvik and Elodie Vialle talked about their passion for helping journalists do their work securely. Runa Sandvik, founder of Granitt, has been… Read More »
One of ITS Information Assurance’s core responsibilities is to provide guidance to the entire university community on IT security and privacy compliance best practices and help individuals protect university systems and data, as well as their own personal information. IA is always on the lookout for innovative and compelling ways to engage our students, faculty, and staff, such… Read More »
Cyber Monday is a few days away, so it’s imperative that you practice safe cyber habits during the busy shopping season. Beware of deals that seem too good to be true — often they are. Information Assurance provides tips and resources to keep you and your information safe while online.
This year marked the 20th year that ITS Information Assurance (IA) has invited U-M students to take an online quiz to raise awareness about IT security issues and promote security and privacy best practices during October’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. All U-M students on the UM-Ann Arbor (including medical students), UM-Dearborn, and UM-Flint campuses who scored 90% or… Read More »