Category Archives: Safe Computing

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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 »

Keeping your family safe online: New devices for the holidays

Not much compares to the feeling of watching someone you love open that new iPad they’ve been begging for, or the milestone of receiving their very first smartphone. Unfortunately, the excitement of new devices during the holidays can be eclipsed if those devices allow cybercrime to enter your home.  Many households claim an abundance of devices, including computers,… Read More »

Cybersecurity when traveling

During the holiday season, people in the U.S. take about 15 billion trips between 50 and 500 miles away from their homes (as estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics). Visiting family or taking getaways is an excellent way to celebrate a season filled with holiday cheer. Unfortunately, it is also the time when cybercrime increases, making it… 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 »

Mindful clicking: A cyber threat brief with the FBI

One of the many events held to celebrate October as Cybersecurity month was the Cyber Threat Brief with Scott Hellman from the FBI. This live discussion, hosted by Stanford University, centered on the most common cyber threats the FBI sees, how people are targeted, and basic methods to protect yourself.  The amount of damage cyber attacks cost is… Read More »

Zoom security and privacy updates: Journey since implementation

This year, ITS Information Assurance’s annual SUMIT event included several virtual IT security/Information Assurance related events. One such event was the Zoom Security and Privacy Updates: Journey since Implementation presentation from Maggie Davidson and Asmat Noori. Maggie Davidson, Service Manager for Zoom in Support Services, provided valuable information about Zoombombing, including how Zoombombers obtain access to meetings, what… Read More »

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

Each October, ITS Information Assurance (IA) celebrates Cybersecurity Awareness Month by reminding members of the university community about their shared responsibility to protect themselves and the U-M community and by sharing IT security and privacy tips. “Cybersecurity, as a topic, a news item, and as an imperative is on the rise,” stated Sol Bermann, U-M Chief Information Security… 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 »

Three Student Privacy Conversation Starters: ITS staff present at ASU Digital Trust Summit

At the June 2021 Arizona State University (ASU) Digital Trust Summit, Svetla Sytch, ITS assistant director of privacy and IT policy, and Julia Silverman, an ITS intern fellow, shared the efforts U-M has taken to engage with the U-M community, and students in particular, in conversations about privacy. They outlined three initiatives that highlight the values of being open and honest, creating simple visual and multimedia materials, and working with students.