Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2021 is in the rearview mirror! This year, we set out on the Road to Cybersecurity together. We hosted several events, sent out weekly security tips, and published a great newsletter full of original content authored by WashU’s information security staff.
Competitions
Our Cybersecurity Awareness Month competitions are always popular. In 2020, hundreds of faculty, staff, and students participated in our Cybersecurity “Final Exam” for a chance to win one of several Bear Bucks prizes ranging from $25 to $100. This year, we upped the ante by running two competitions—one specifically for WashU students and another for the entire WashU community.
Registration for the student competition is closed, and we will announce the lucky winners of an Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset or a Nintendo Switch Lite in December.
If you missed your chance to enter the student competition, don’t despair! Everyone is invited to participate in our “Test Your Knowledge Competition” for a chance to win our grand prize of $500 in Bear Bucks credit or one of several $250 Bear Bucks Awards! Show us how cyber smart you are by testing your knowledge here. Don’t forget to play the bonus game for an additional chance to win.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Events and Articles
ShredIT
We ran our biannual secure shredding and e-waste events on the WUSM and Danforth campuses. This year, we collected and disposed of a total of more than four tons (8,259 pounds) of electronics and paper. A breakdown of waste disposal by campus is below. Great job, everyone! Your attention to secure disposal helps to protect our data and community.
Washington University School of Medicine Campus
- 2,494 pounds of e-waste
- 2,400 pounds of paper
Danforth Campus
- 1,565 pounds of e-waste
- 1,800 pounds of paper
Events and Webinars
Careers in Cybersecurity webinar with CISO Chris Shull and computer science major Skylar Fong. On October 20, CISO Chris Shull and WashU Computer Science Major Skylar Fong cooperated to run a webinar discussing Careers in Cybersecurity. More than 50 students participated in the evening event. Chris Shull offered valuable insights about the interdisciplinary nature of cybersecurity and the qualities that he looks for in a prospective new hire. Skylar shared her strategies for getting a foot in the door in cybersecurity. The student attendees closed out the hour with a lively question-answer session.
Topics in Cybersecurity with Information Security Director, Brian Allen. On October 21, more than 80 members of the WashU community listened to Brian’s riveting tales of detecting and eliminating security threats from WashU systems and networks.
Weekly Tips and Stories
We embarked on a Cybersecurity Road Trip in October 2021. Each week we sent out tips and stories about how to safely navigate the road to cybersecurity. Let’s look back on the scrapbook of our shared adventure:
October 7, 2021: Cyberattacks are Speeding Up, Electronic Arts Hack and Social Engineering
October 12, 2021: The Race Against Ransomware
October 21, 2021: Verify and Report, The SolarWinds Hack
October 27, 2021: Know the Rules of the Road, The Colonial Pipeline Hack
For more stories, tips, and event announcements, be sure to visit the Office of Information Security blog!
Thanks for a great month! We’re already looking forward to 2022. Octobers in the mirror are (always) closer than they appear!