Did You Become Cyber Secure this October?

Though National Cyber Security Awareness Month has ended, staying cyber secure is a year-round challenge. Phishing lures, online scam artists, laptop snatches, "drive-by" attacks on unsecured wireless. Cyberspace can be dangerous if you’re not careful. There’s a lot at risk: your laptop, bank account, months of research, your reputation, future job prospects, even your identity.

The Information Security Group (ISG) hopes that you took advantage of our Brown Bags as well as online materials and quizzes to learn how to play it safe, and that you are now better equipped with the knowledge and common sense to keep you, your computing and your identity safe.

Each week during October ISG focused on an important message, inviting you to read up on cyber as well as physical threats and what you can do to ensure you have a good safety net in place. We will leave these materials in place as a resource you can turn to in the coming year.

In addition, the ISG staff will continue to present Safe Computing Brown Bags. Check the Security & Compliance section of the Training.Brown.edu site for upcoming opportunities and watch for announcements in Morning Mail. If you have a topic that you'd like us to address, drop us a line at ISG@brown.edu.

Week 1 - Keep the Crime Scene on Prime Time

Police tape and forensics may be entertaining when they're part of your favorite television show, but not so cool when your dorm room or cubicle is involved. Adopting a few common sense habits could save your laptop and its contents. « Quiz #1 is no longer available »

» Learn how to prevent a Laptop Disappearing Act
» Microsoft's tutorial: Protect your laptop on the road
» "Brown University Checklist for Protecting Information": Securing Mobile and Cellular Devices
» Department of Public Safety laptop engraving program
» More tips in the interactive Mission Laptop Security game

« Congratulations to Neal Poole for being the winner of Quiz #1. Neal, who is an undergraduate, won a copy of the book "Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World" by Bruce Schneier. »

Week 2 - Beware the Malware: Surfin' the web without learning to swim?

Week 3 - Data Confidential, PII

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) must be properly safeguarded to protect the individuals whose information is being processed, as well as those who handle it. If the content is regulated by state or federal laws, disclosure to unauthorized parties could have legal and/or financial repercussions as well.

And if the information is your own, you need to be aware of what you may be sharing and with whom. When social networking with others and having fun online its easy to forget that some precious things could be "on the line": your reputation, future job prospects, your bank account, perhaps even your life. « Quiz #3 is no longer available »

» Brown's Guidelines for Safeguarding Information
» THINK: Facebook's Hidden Dangers
» Compete for a spot on the Friend Finder All-Star List by showing you're savvy when it comes to making friends online.

« Congratulations to Jane Keenan, from the Office of Advancement, for being the winner of Quiz #3. Jane won a copy of the book "Zero Day Threat: The Shocking Truth of How Banks and Credit Bureaus Help Cyber Crooks Steal Your Money and Identity." »

Week 4 - Scams, Slams and Spam: Phishing and Identity Theft

Phishing attacks try to trick you into divulging key personal information. The harvested information could then be used by the thief, masquerading as you, to order credit cards, empty out your bank account or worse. Trying to clean up after a stolen identity could take years and may mean the loss of job or housing opportunities. Plus it could cost you considerable dollars to repair the damage that's been done. Save yourself the unneeded pain and learn how to take simple steps to prevent ID Theft. « Quiz #4 is no longer available »

Week 5 - Drive-bys and man-in-the-middle attacks: How secure is your wireless connection?

Drive-Bys. We're not talking the Sopranos. Drive-bys and man-in-the-middle attacks happen everyday over unsecured wireless, like at cyber cafes and hotel lobbies, when hackers position themselves between your computer and the wireless access point, using your Internet connection to view what you're sending across the network. « Quiz #5 is no longer available. The names of contest winners will be posted to this sight on Monday, November 3. »

Throughout the month of October, this site featured winning videos from the 2007 Computer Security Awareness Video Contest. Cash prizes were awarded to winners in two categories: short programs (two minutes or less) and 30 second Public Service Announcements (PSAs).

"When You Least Expect It" is a 30 second video by Nolan Portillo (California State University - Bakersfield). His award winning PSA is about love -- and identity theft -- when you least expect it. It's the story of a chance encounter in a cyber cafe between a woman who thnks she's found the man of her dreams and the mysterious stranger across the room.

You can view all of the prize winners by visiting the 2007 Student Video Contest web site.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month is sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). Visit their web site at www.staysafeonline.org for secure computing practices and links to affiliated organizations.

brought to you by: