The Dangers of AI Art and Deepfakes
Artificial intelligence art generators are trained on billions of existing images. When you enter a prompt, the AI art generator builds an image by combining aspects of its training data into a single image. Meanwhile, deepfakes are trained on photographs and videos of one subject to replicate that subject. Deepfake technology can depict a person […]
QR Code Safety
QR codes (quick-response codes) were originally designed to label automobile parts, but today, we can find them in advertisements, restaurants, museums, mobile ticketing, and many other areas. Since both Androids and iPhones can scan QR codes in the camera app, QR codes provide faster access to a website than manually typing a URL. While convenient, the […]
Spot the Fake Login
Scammers can create fake login screens that are strikingly similar to legitimate ones. One of the login screens pictured above is our true WUSTL login screen, and the other is an imitation. Can you spot all of the differences? To make this more challenging, we’ve cropped out the URL from each login screenshot. Seeing the […]
Stay Safer with Multifactor Authentication
Multifactor authentication provides another layer of security for online accounts. The first “factor” for an account is usually a password, and any additional authentication step makes it harder for a hacker to access your account. Common multifactor authentication offerings are codes sent via text or email, dedicated authenticator apps like Duo, and fingerprint or facial […]
Managing Passwords
Using strong passwords with the help of a password manager is one of the easiest ways to protect your accounts and keep our information safe. Let a password manager do the work A password manager creates, stores, and fills passwords for us automatically. This way, we only have to remember one strong password—for the password […]
Cyber Risks at a New Job
The onboarding process creates a unique set of security risks. As new employees, we’re often eager to make a good impression, but we have little institutional knowledge. These factors make new employees valuable targets for hackers. Due to unfamiliarity with WashU’s processes and security protocols, a new employee might not know how to recognize an email […]
Google’s Phishing Quiz Game
Google’s Jigsaw unit published a quiz that tests the taker’s ability to identify phishing emails. The quiz tests you on eight emails to see if you can distinguish between legitimate emails and phishing scams. Many of the examples come from real events, such as the massive phishing attempt that hit Google Doc users in 2017 and an email that Russian […]
Outsmart Online Outlaws
Phishing is an illegal tactic where criminals send fraudulent emails to trick victims into sharing their personal information or compromise their system. The good news is at WashU we can use the Phish Alert Button whenever we’re unsure about an email’s authenticity. Step 1: Recognize the common signs Step 2: When in doubt, report it! […]
Where to Report Cybercrime
With many kinds of cybercrime come many different ways to report it. Most of us will encounter cybercrime, so here are resources on where to report it. Hacked Account Report your hacked account to theplatform’s support team. Below are reporting guides for popular platforms: WUSTL Key, Facebook, Google, Instagram, PayPal, Snap, TikTok, YouTube Ransomware If […]
Raising Digital Citizens
Giving children uninhibited access to the internet can put your child, computer, and personal data at risk. With some precautions, you can set your children up to become upstanding digital citizens who will lead the future. Parental Controls Most devices these days have parental controls that allow parents to restrict access to certain content for […]
How to Stay Safe Online
Policy Update 2024
The WashU Office of Information Security (OIS) is dedicated to supporting our community by ensuring that our information security policies keep pace with the evolving digital landscape. As part of this effort, we’re excited to introduce our 2024 Policy Update, which launches the new WashU OIS Guide series. This series will guide you through our […]
Keeping Information Security Simple – New and Old School Financial Fraud – Dangers of Payment Apps and Paper Checks
Letter from the CISO, Vol 4 Issue 4 WashU Community: Whether you are a leading-edge user of online financial payment apps or a traditionalist who loves a signature on a paper check, malicious actors are out to separate you from your money. In the September 12, 2024 issue of Hacking Humans, “Baked goods and bad […]
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a global effort to help everyone stay safe and protected when using technology whenever and however you connect. The Office of Information Security is proud to champion this online safety and education initiative this October. All month long, we are promoting these key behaviors to encourage you, our WashU community, […]
Learn About Cybersecurity and Win Big this October
The Office of Information Security is running a competition throughout October for Cybersecurity Awareness Month! WashU staff, faculty, and students can enter to win up to $1,000 in BearBucks. On September 26th, we released an Inside Man-themed game in KnowBe4, ‘The Inside Man: New Recruits Game’. Complete the game to earn an entry into our […]