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.
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 »
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.
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.
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 »