COMPLIANCE CHATTER

Fall Series

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Since 2004, the month of October has been federally recognized as Cybersecurity Awareness Month to remind us of the importance of cybersecurity.

Check out the schedule of events for Cybersecurity Awareness Month at UConn, and four important steps you can take to stay safe online below.

At UConn, our Information Security Team provides Security Awareness Training, data and account protection resources, and also responds to information security incidents at the University.

Throughout the month of October, Information Technology Services will have various events to help you stay safe online. Staff will be stationed on all campuses to share cybersecurity tips and treats. Please stop by and chat with us! An up-to-date schedule of events is available here.

Are you interested in holding an in-person/hybrid security awareness training in your department? Invite the Information Security Office for a presentation, “Cyber Safety and Security: You Can Wear Your Hats.” This engaging 45 minute presentation is aimed to support faculty and staff in detecting and defending against common cyber threats, and bring out the cybersecurity professional in all of us. Contact Laurie.Neal@uconn.edu to schedule a training. 

Use strong passwords and a password manager.

Strong passwords are critical to protecting data. They are long, random, unique, and include all four-character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols).

Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create long, random, and unique passwords for each of your accounts.

UConn IT Security is hosting a webinar for UConn employees interested in using LastPass, a popular password manager that is free to anyone at UConn. You may activate both a professional and personal LastPass account to conveniently store and protect all your passwords.

LastPass Information Session and Demo

Thursday, October 26, 12:30-1pm.

Registration is required.

Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA).

You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable multifactor authentication on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media, and financial accounts.

Update software.

Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check manually for updates if automatic updates are not available and keep operating systems, antivirus software, web browsers, and applications up to date.

Recognize & report phishing.

Phishing emails, texts, and calls are the number one way data gets compromised. Be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials over the phone or email unless necessary and don’t click on links or open attachments sent from unknown sources.

Verify the authenticity of requests by contacting the individual or organization through a trusted channel. Report phishing attempts to the appropriate authorities or IT department. Learn to recognize the signs of phishing and report these incidents to protect data and devices.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2023, September). Cybersecurity Awareness Month. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. https://www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month#:~:text=About,about%20the%20importance%20of%20cybersecurity.

Review additional Compliance Clips and Chatters.

Learn more about IT Security at UConn.

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