How easy is it to shop online? (Rhetorical question there.) It’s so convenient to be able to order anything you like and have it delivered right to your door. Unfortunately, that also means there’s more risk. Scammers and criminals can try to steal your information and money while you shop online.
The good news is that there are some easy things you can do to protect yourself and safely shop online. Let’s take a quick look at some tips:
(Only those old enough to remember the Wrigley's doublemint gum commercials will get this title.)
“Multi-factor authentication” is a tech industry term for using different types of verification to get into an account. You do this daily with the 2-Step. The idea is that you use multiple things at the same time to really prove that you’re actually you. A password is one example of a factor; a fingerprint is another.
Passwords! What a headache, am I right? Sometimes it seems like that in order to be safe, your password must contain letters, numbers, punctuation, bird noises, and at least one Egyptian hieroglyph.
But the truth is that it’s easier to create a long, strong, safe password than most people think. Let’s take a quick look at a few tips for making a password that will keep your account safe.
This October, UC Berkeley is once again joining other universities, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help raise cyber security awareness during National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).
File-sharing can heighten risks to you and the University. As an Internet Service Provider (under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act), UC Berkeley does not monitor its networks for the purpose of discoveringillegal activity. However, we act to make sure that Copyright, especially as it applies to digital assets, is respected within the Campus community.
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.
*** 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. ***
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]
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.
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:
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.
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.
The IST-Telecommunications networking group will begin piloting the new bSecure Campus VPN service in the coming weeks. Eventually, this service will become the replacement for the existing Cisco AnyConnect based Campus Remote Access VPN service.
On Wednesday, May 3rd, we learned of a global phishing attack targeting the nearly 1 billion people who use Google email, including members of the campus community. You may have received an email that a Google Doc had been shared with you by a person you know. These were fraudulent emails sent as part of that cyber attack.