Washington University Community: Modern computers and mobile devices are so complex that they invariably have unintended flaws. Some of these flaws create vulnerabilities by which cybercriminals can attack your computer, tablet, or phone. In fact, these vulnerabilities are one of the most common ways devices are hacked. The good news is that it is surprisingly […]
Tag: Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 7
It’s the Scam, Scamiest Season of All!
The holidays have arrived! These final weeks of the year are extremely busy for many of us. People are traveling, shopping, awaiting packages, making end-of-year-donations, and trying to put a pin in 2021. Cybercriminals know and await these frenzied times. They especially like seasons of heightened online shopping and financial transactions because impersonating a bank, […]
Protecting the World’s Most Valuable Resource
The refrain “knowledge is power” has been repeated around the world for centuries, from ancient Sanskrit proverbs to the theme song of the animated American educational series, School House Rock. The pursuit of knowledge is central to our university mission. The objective—use knowledge to empower individuals and communities for the betterment of society. Knowledge can […]
Best of: A Lookback at 2021
What a year! We’ve continued to adapt to new working environments, a return to campus, new technologies, and novel cyberthreats. The Office Information Security launched a monthly newsletter, ran university-wide competitions, and engaged the WashU community with a slate of events and communications for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Once again, we are proud to be among […]
The Realities of Ransomware
By: Harrison Stites (class of 2022) Ransomware accounted for over 80 percent of the cybersecurity attacks in the education sector in 2020, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report. Healthcare organizations such as BJC (and, by extension, WashU) are significant targets for ransomware attacks because they work with Personal Health Information (PHI) and other […]
Scam of the Month: COVID Omicron Phishing
Security researchers are warning of an uptick in phishing attacks targeting universities themed around COVID, Omicron, and testing information. These attackers seek to steal valuable information and often have the goal of tricking users into handing over their university (or other) log-in credentials. Below, you will find an example of a phishing message using Omicron […]
Meet Your InfoSec Team: James Gagliarducci, Information Security Director
James Gagliarducci, Director of Information Security, an electrical engineer by training and a security whiz by experience and certification, started out designing radar systems for the Department of Defense. He joined WashU IT as a network engineer in the 90s. Remembering those days, James says, “I loved it.” When the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability […]