Letter from the CISO, Vol 1 Issue 8 Washington University Community: This is the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s Data Privacy Week (https://staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-week/), and because security is closely related to privacy, I thought I’d say a few things about it. The “right to privacy” was defined by Justice Louis Brandeis in an 1890 article as the right […]
Tag: Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 8
Threats to Your Research Data and Intellectual Property
Your research data and intellectual property are valuable, not only in the pursuit of knowledge for the betterment of society but also to cybercriminals who seek to steal it or hold it for ransom. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation , intellectual property theft is a growing threat in the digital era, and much […]
Phishing Awareness Phase II: Competition Winners to be Notified
The Office of Information Security recently added several layers of phishing protection for our institution. We hope you have located, and perhaps even used, the new Phish Alert Button (PAB). Last week, our office distributed our first university-wide message from the KnowBe4 platform, asking users to report it as a phish using the PAB to […]
Security Advice from a Busy Student
By Jack Ballenger (Class of 2024) During these two weeks of virtual classes, students will need to use Duo Mobile, an app for two-factor authentication (2FA), to access Canvas, Outlook, WebStac, and other WashU resources since they are not connected to campus WiFi. Two-factor authentication, also called multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-step authentication, supplements your […]
How to Take Back Control of Your Data This Data Privacy Week
Adapted from The National Cybersecurity Alliance, January 2022 From social media to online shopping, our lives and the digital world become more intertwined every day. The digital world affords us a new level of convenience and access to information, but there may be a hidden cost to your privacy associated with these conveniences. Consumers must […]
Data Privacy Fast Facts
Adapted from National Cybersecurity Alliance In Case You Missed It Protecting the World’s Most Valuable ResourceWashington University Office of Information Security, December 2021
Scam of the Month: SMiShing and 3 Viruses Detected Scam
The Office of Information Security has received reports of a SMiShing campaign targeting people at our institution. SMiShing occurs when cybercriminals use tactics common to phishing campaigns in text messages, attempting to communicate legitimacy to their unsuspecting victim. The reported scam (pictured below) is a text-based version of a common and long-running scam that is […]
Meet Your InfoSec Team: Christina Pomianek-Smith, Policy and Risk Analyst
Information security involves solving complex problems, incorporating diverse perspectives to address the technical, legal, social, and behavioral dimensions of the digital era. Christina Pomianek-Smith’s recent move into information security demonstrates the multidisciplinary demands of the field. She is a cultural anthropologist by training (PhD, University of Missouri—Columbia, 2012), with research interests in trust, cooperation, and […]