Check your texts for scams
Have you heard of “smishing”? That’s phishing via text message (SMS + phishing). Watch for texts about packages you didn’t order or COVID-19 reports from unknown numbers.
Category Archives: Safe Computing
Write emails that don’t look phishy
People are rightfully suspicious of unsolicited email, but that can sometimes cause them to ignore or delete your legitimate university communications. In order to not appear phishy, focus on helping recipients verify the legitimacy of your U-M emails so they know they are safe to open. Tips are available on the Safe Computing website.
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 »
Fending off cyberattacks at U-M together
Ransomware, phishing, and cyberattacks are on the rise and, increasingly, they target higher education. The most effective way to defend against them is to work together.
Use the new Safe Computing Curriculum in your unit
As U-M employees and community members, we all share in the responsibility to help protect U-M IT systems and data. But how do you do that? ITS Information Assurance has developed a Safe Computing Curriculum that offers IT security and privacy/confidentiality best practices to help safeguard the university’s digital assets.
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 »
AI – transformative and biased, say U-M panelists
A panel of U-M experts discussed the film “Coded Bias” at a Dissonance Event on April 15. “Coded Bias” follows the journey of Joy Buolamwini, a computer scientist and digital activist based at the MIT Media Lab, as she worked with others to push for the first legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The Dissonance organizing committee brought the panelists together for an online discussion of bias in AI, transformative opportunities for its use, and more.
Don’t share your COVID-19 vaccination card on social media
Many people are so excited when they get their COVID-19 vaccination that they want to share the good news with everyone. But, just as you shouldn’t share other highly personal information on social media, please don’t share a photo of your vaccination card.
Protect your data: Learn the best ways to protect yourself online through this new eLearning series
To help the Michigan Medicine community protect organizational and personal data, a new Cyber Safety Best Practices series was added to MLearning.
Success! Falcon endpoint protection deployment project complete
IT security is a shared responsibility and a never-ending journey of incremental improvement, but some improvements are larger and come faster than others. In October 2020, ITS announced that Enhanced Endpoint Protection powered by CrowdStrike Falcon would be rolled out to university-owned computers (desktops, laptops, and servers). About six months later, as of early March 2021, Falcon has… 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 »
“Coded Bias” watch event; Join experts for panel discussion afterwards
You are invited to a free, on-demand screening of the documentary film Coded Bias—available anytime from April 8 to 14 and a panel discussion of the film April 15. Coded Bias explores the fallout from an MIT Media Lab researcher’s discovery that facial recognition does not identify dark-skinned faces and women’s faces accurately. The film follows her journey to push for the first legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms.
U-M rolls out new eco-friendly workstations
The Michigan IT Steerage Committee is happy to announce a new, high-end desktop workstation for use in both the academic and medical center environments across the university. Introducing the Future Object-Oriented Laptop, a brand-new technology designed to be more “green”—sustainable, biodegradable, and using fewer heavy metals and less electricity to create and to operate—than contemporary workstations. Included in… Read More »
Ask the ITS IA Experts
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend office hours with ITS Information Assurance experts. Come ask your IT security and privacy questions!
Manage MCommunity groups used for U-M business
Groups used for U-M business, such as email and providing access to resources, require proper management to prevent interruption of important work-related activities.
U-M computer chip wins against 500+ hackers
MORPHEUS technology from the University of Michigan emerged unscathed from a DARPA virtual hackathon. An “unhackable” computer chip lived up to its name in its first bug bounty competition, foiling over 500 cybersecurity researchers who were offered tens of thousands of dollars to analyze it and three other secure processor technologies for vulnerabilities. MORPHEUS, developed by computer science… 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.
Secure personal devices used with U-M data
Following these guidelines to secure personal devices that you use for working with U-M data protects you and the university.
Check Safe Computing’s “In the Media” for IT security and privacy news
Stay up to date on IT security and privacy stories with Safe Computing’s In the Media section.