In early December 2021, the world was faced with yet another massive zero-day vulnerability, when news broke that Log4j was being used to perform remote code execution and provide unauthorized access to servers. This vulnerability was quickly exploited to do everything from crypto-currency mining to ransomware installation. Log4j is a piece of open-source software used by numerous vendors… Read More »
African Americans have served in the U.S. military since the revolutionary war, although the armed forces were not officially desegregated until 1948. Unfortunately, their service is all too often downplayed or not prominently known. One story that deserves highlighting is the cryptologic work done by William Coffee in the agency that would eventually become the NSA. Mr. Coffee… Read More »
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 »
ITS Information Assurance kicked off Data Privacy Month with a presentation on Privacy in Higher Education by Autumm Caines, instructional designer at UM-Dearborn’s Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources. Autumm set the stage for an engaging Zoom session by using compelling examples to shine the light on inherent issues associated with algorithmic profiling and predictive technology. She introduced… Read More »
On December 7, due to an outage with AWS US-East-1, the Information and Technology Services (ITS) Server Center’s Amazon Connect call center software could not receive calls or chats, leaving callers getting only a busy signal and chatters getting no response at all. While multiple systems were impacted (including Canvas, MiVideo, and Code42 Crashplan), the Service Center turned… Read More »
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 »
Protect yourself from tricks and scams when shopping online: Use secure and up-to-date software, devices, and networks.
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Back up data to protect U-M and yourself.
Do your part to secure U-M resources by reporting suspected phishing email to ReportPhish@umich.edu .
To help you provide phishing awareness training in your unit ITS Information Assurance (IA) has published new phishing curriculum materials on Safe Computing!
Worried a system was compromised? Understanding what to look for and when to call for help can give you peace of mind and protect university and personal data.
If you manage U-M or unit systems, computers, or data, you are responsible for taking steps to protect them from ransomware. If you use U-M computing services, you are responsible for learning not to respond to phishing emails, which often provide entry to ransomware.
Coming in fall 2021, it is anticipated that use of Duo two-factor will be required when logging in to the U-M Virtual Private Network (VPN). That will provide added security not just for you, but for U-M networks and systems, too.
Secure and encrypt your devices to protect U-M and your personal data.