Karl Grose, one of the founding fathers of CalNet, is retiring.
June 3, 2019
May 22, 2019
You may have noticed some changes here at security.berkeley.edu. The Information Security and Policy office has taken a new name and undergone a website redesign. We are now The Information Security Office or ISO. Don't worry, all of our great content is still here. The new layout may take some getting used to, but our search function is better than ever and can help you find what you are looking for.
May 21, 2019
May 14, 2019
Summary
A zero-day elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way Microsoft Windows Error Reporting (WER) handles files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
While details about the use of the exploit are not available, it has reportedly been used in limited attacks against specific targets. Successful exploitation has been observed in the wild. [2][3]
Summary
*** Vulnerable RDP servers should be patched IMMEDIATELY even where there is a potential business impact (unscheduled maintenance). Notify security@berkeley.edu if you anticipate any delays in patching. ***
April 10, 2019
Overview
Every Windows product has a lifecycle and that lifecycle ends when it no longer receives security updates or fixes, software updates, and/or technical support. On Jan. 14, 2020 Microsoft will discontinue support for the Windows 7 Operating System. Without security, patches these systems will be easy targets for hackers, malware, and viruses.
March 14, 2019
A couple of recent phishing scams, referred to as a “Business Email Compromise (BEC),” have been targeting universities to steal funds through the purchasing process.
The first phishing scam targets suppliers that do business with campus by using Berkeley emails as the hook. These attacks involve purchase orders and requests for quotes that appear to come from the University, but are in fact fraudulent.
Be Alert:
March 8, 2019
Starting March 11th services that use Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) will require CalNet 2-Step Authentication.
Examples of software include CalShare and Microsoft 365.
February 21, 2019
Summary
A highly critical bug has been discovered in Drupal that can be used for remote code execution [1]. Drupal is a Content Management System (CMS) commonly used to host websites. In the past this sort of exploit has been used to deliver remote access tools, ransomware, and cryptominers to web servers [2]. Based on similar exploits against various CMS software in the past, we can expect that attackers will begin exploiting this software quickly.
February 20, 2019
Reserve your seat at DataEDGE 2019, the UC Berkeley School of Information's annual data science conference scheduled for April 23, 2019.
We are excited to announce that the Information Security and Policy Office is launching a Security Internship Program for staff. This is a unique opportunity for employees to work alongside the Security Operations and Assessments & Compliance teams. The internship is a chance for current Berkeley employees to develop a professional skill set in the information security domain and achieve breadth and depth of knowledge in the field. Interns will strengthen their career path potential, network with new colleagues, and contribute to the campus mission.
February 12, 2019
Summary
Open Containers runc is prone to a local command-execution vulnerability. Runc is a command line utility designed to spawn container systems. It is the container runtime that underpins many open source container management systems including Docker, Kubernetes, containerd, Podman, and CRI-O. [1] [3]
January 28, 2019
We all exist in digital form on the Internet. While online you leave a trail of your digital self in the form of cookies, GPS data, social media posts, browser searches, email exchanges... the list goes on. Your footprint is vast and once something is online, it can be there forever.
That’s what Data Privacy Day is all about. Recognizing that owning your online presence will help to protect your identity, finances, and reputation – both now and in the future.
January 11, 2019
A widely reported spear phishing scam, termed “Business Email Compromise (BEC),” has been targeting universities and other academic institutions. These attacks are spear phishing scams designed to impersonate someone you know in an attempt to gain access to sensitive information or to encourage you to transfer funds or provide gift cards. There has been an increase of these assaults across the University this new year.
December 27, 2018
These are targeted and simple forms of phishing emails designed to get victims to purchase gift cards, the "email compromise" gets its name because the attacker mimics the email of a known sender. However, these can also be sent through a legitimate, albeit hacked account. The messages start out as basic greetings then progress into requests for money or data. Since the content is highly personalized it’s often easy to get hooked.
December 20, 2018
Summary
Microsoft just published an out-of-band patch for Internet Explorer. It fixes a memory corruption vulnerability in the scripting engine. This vulnerability is identified as CVE-2018-8653.
When successfully exploited, Internet Explorer could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, the victim must just visit a malicious web page delivered through a phishing email or social engineering. [1]
October 4, 2018
The goal of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) – celebrated every October – is to ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. Check out these offerings to find an event near you, or a webinar of interest.
***highlighted event***
Oct 16, 11AM-1PM
UCOP Cyber Security Awareness Month Forum
UCOP, 1111 Franklin St., Oakland, CA, Lobby 1 Conference Room
September 25, 2018
To our campus community,
We are implementing some necessary updates to our Wi-Fi network that will require some action on your part. On Oct. 2, 2018 at 7 a.m., the Airbears2 and eduroam wireless networks will be updated with a new certificate. After this update is complete, devices attempting to connect to either wireless network will be presented with a message similar to one of the three examples shown below (message will vary based on the device and operating system you are using):
Example 1: MacOS X 10.13 (MacBook Air)
September 19, 2018
This is a reminder that throughout the UC system, we have a shared responsibility of information security. This can mean everything from daily practices around secure passphrases, encrypting laptops, and setting up CalNet 2-Step, all the way to making sure servers have the latest patches and are behind bSecure firewalls.
New Policy
New Policy