Mission Statement
The Information Security Office is committed to lowering the risk profile of the University’s electronic information by implementing industry best practices to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of student, faculty, and staff information. We uphold the University’s compliance obligations by developing information security policies, providing security awareness training, and overseeing the implementation of strategic information security initiatives.
Scam of the Week
This Free Gift Has a High Cost
In this week’s scam, you get an email that looks like it’s from a trusted brand, such as Costco or AAA. The email promises a free gift if you fill out a short survey and pay a small shipping fee so that the gift can be delivered to you. The email may create a sense of urgency by claiming that only a few free gifts are left. All you have to do is click a link in the email, which takes you to a website with the survey.
However, the website and survey are fake, and the gift doesn’t exist. The small shipping fee is actually a trick to steal your financial information. If you enter your credit card details on the website, you’ll give your payment information directly to scammers. Then, they can use your card for more expensive purchases or sell your data to other cybercriminals. Even worse, they can use the personal information you entered to steal your identity!
Follow these tips to avoid falling for this phishing scam:
- Legitimate organizations would not ask for your credit card details to cover shipping for a completely free promotional item.
- Instead of clicking links in an email, go directly to the organization’s official website to check if the offer is real. Think before you click!
- Be skeptical of any offer that seems too good to be true, even if it appears to come from a brand you know and trust.
Time It Takes a Hacker to Brute Force Your Password in 2023
| Number of Characters | Number Only | Lowercase Letters | Upper and Lower Case Letters | Numbers, Upper and Lowercase Letters | Numbers, Upper and Lowercase Letters, Symbols |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly |
| 5 | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly |
| 6 | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly |
| 7 | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly |
| 8 | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | Instantly | 1 sec |
| 9 | Instantly | Instantly | 4 secs | 21 secs | 1 min |
| 10 | Instantly | Instantly | 4 mins | 22 mins | 1 hour |
| 11 | Instantly | 6 secs | 3 hours | 22 hours | 4 days |
| 12 | Instantly | 2 mins | 7 days | 2 months | 8 months |
| 13 | Instantly | 1 hour | 12 months | 10 years | 47 years |
| 14 | Instantly | 1 day | 52 years | 608 years | 3k years |
| 15 | 2 secs | 4 weeks | 2k years | 37k years | 232k years |
| 16 | 15 secs | 2 years | 140k years | 2m years | 16m years |
| 17 | 3 mins | 56 years | 7m years | 144m years | 1bn years |
| 18 | 26 mins | 1k years | 378m years | 8bn years | 79bn years |
Phishing Click Rates Triple in 2024
The Most Dangerous Pop Culture Passwords in 2024
FBI Fraud Alert
Cyber Security Alerts
What is being exploited?
Vulnerability in Windows CryptoAPI that allows malicious executables using a spoofed
code-signing certificate to appear as if it was from a trusted source.
What does this affect?
Attackers can conduct man-in-the-middle attacks and decrypt confidential information
on user connections to spoofed software that appears legitimate.
Which Operating Systems does this affect?
Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019
How to mitigate this?
Apply critical patches to affected systems as soon as possible.
For more information:
CVE-2020-0601
What is being exploited?
Vulnerability in Windows Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) that allows specially
crafted requests to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
What does this affect?
Attackers can gain access to the target system with full user rights that would allow
them to install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new users.
Which Operating Systems does this affect?
Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019
How to mitigate this?
Apply critical patches to affected systems as soon as possible.
For more information:
CVE-2020-0609 & CVE-2020-0610
What is being exploited?
Vulnerability in Windows Remote Desktop Client that allows the server to execute arbitrary
code on the target system after an unsuspecting user connects to it.
What does this affect?
Attackers can trick the user into connecting to a compromised server and gain access
to the target system with full user rights that would allow them to install programs;
view, change, or delete data; or create new users.
Which Operating Systems does this affect?
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows RT, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server
2012, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019
How to mitigate this?
Apply critical patches to affected systems as soon as possible.
For more information:
CVE-2020-0611
Windows 10 & Windows Server 2016 and newer
1. Search: Check for Updates
2. Click “Check for Updates” then install all updates
Windows 8 and older & Windows Server 2012 and older
1. Navigate: Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Update
2. Click “Check for Updates” then install all updates