Welcome to National Cybersecurity Month! Over the next several weeks, ITS will provide the Oxy community information and tips to better secure our computing environment. For week 1, we're diving into the basics to help you stay safe online. You can find helpful information on the new ITS Cybersecurity website.
Campus Cybersecurity Landscape
Cybersecurity is a top concern for ITS and the entire Oxy community. We've seen a significant increase in cyberattacks targeting colleges and universities, with malware threats now numbering in the hundreds of thousands daily. Particularly alarming is the rise of ransomware attacks, impacting 64% of institutions in the past year alone. Since the beginning of the fall semester, Oxy has experienced a daily occurrence of notable phishing scam emails targeting members of our community.
These findings are sourced from a recent article in EDUCAUSE Review, which sheds light on the current state of campus cybersecurity.
It's crucial to understand the gravity of these challenges as we strive to bolster our campus's cybersecurity measures and safeguard our digital assets. By staying vigilant and informed, we can collectively work to mitigate these threats and protect our institution's valuable information.
Secure Password Practices
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Create strong passwords:
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Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols, like "SafePass123!"
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Avoid common words or phrases.
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Don't use the same password for different accounts.
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Manage your passwords easily:
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Try a password manager like LastPass or 1Password.
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If you think your password might be compromised, change it right away.
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You can change your password to a more secure one by going to myOxy and using the password change link on the login page. You will access our PWM(Password Manager site) and it is the way to centrally manage password changes across services (e.g. Gmail, Oxy computer log in, Zoom, Moodle etc).
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
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Secure your accounts by enabling 2FA:
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Follow simple steps on our website based on your account type (student, faculty, or staff).
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While using your mobile phone is the most convenient method for MFA, it is not mandatory. Your options for MFA are:
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Authenticator app on a smartphone or tablet
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Text messages on a mobile phone
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Voice calls on a mobile, office, or landline phone
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Hardware security key from ITS
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Our goal is to make the digital world safer for all of us. If you have questions or need help, reach out to our ITS support team at helpdesk@oxy.edu.
You can find more information on Cybersecurity Month here.
Stay safe!