During these uncertain and stressful times it is important to remember to keep information security in the forefront of your mind. Accessing campus resources remotely is more complex and creates more challenges thereby creating opportunities for scammers. There is an increase in phishing attempts and scammers are increasingly taking advantage of the fears surrounding Coronavirus/COVID-19. Please review the following tips to help stay safe online.
- Create unique and long passphrases for every service or website. We recommend using a trusted password manager such as LastPass.
- Never give remote access or provide personal information to a “technical support representative” that called you out of the blue. For example, Microsoft will never call you telling you they noticed a problem with your computer and they were calling to fix it-this is a scam!
- Don’t open emails from strangers or click on suspicious links. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Prevent 99.9% of attacks by enabling Multi-Factor or Two-Factor Authentication on ALL of your accounts. Including Google, Facebook, Amazon, your bank, and any others.
- Review our File Sharing and Storage guidelines. If you are using a personal computer to work from home, access our Remote Access Server and store your files there.
- Learn more about security awareness on Hoonuit
- Check to make sure your Crashplan Backup is working
- There has been an increased number of spear phishing attempts during this time. If you receive an email from your supervisor or someone on the Gustavus leadership team that seems suspicious or you just aren’t sure, forward it to helpline@gustavus.edu and GTS will help you verify it.
- Remember that you are the best defense against attacks. Be vigilant.
Here are some additional resources to stay safe online:
- https://security-awareness.sans.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/02-SSA-WorkingFromHome-FactSheet.pdf
- https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing
- https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/
- https://stopthinkconnect.org/
- https://stopthinkconnect.org/campaigns/lock-down-your-login
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Technology Helpline.
507-933-6111
helpline@gustavus.edu
https://gustavus/gts
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