There's an old computer running in the office or lab. It's powered on and has not been accessed in a while.
Old computers can be a risk to the organization. They will eventually fail and if the data stored on the device has not been saved elsewhere, it could be lost forever. Computers also need to be maintained, serviced, and patched for security. An unpatched or abandoned computer is like an unlocked window, a welcome invitation to a hacker to climb in and start infiltrating the rest of the organization from inside. They should be reported to the department technician or IT Services.
"Oops! I tripped on the power cable. How clumsy of me."
A Lancer Team Player is someone who thinks about the cybersecurity implications of a situation and takes appropriate action to safeguard accounts, information and research, and computing resources. It’s the digital equivalent of looking both ways before crossing the street. A Lancer team player pauses to stop, think, then clicks only if appropriate.
Many users have a false sense of security, believing that technology solutions such as passwords, anti-virus, and network firewalls protect them from the evils of the Internet. Technology cannot protect against everything, so online users also need to act like a firewall.
A Lancer team player is someone who thinks about the cybersecurity implications of a situation and takes appropriate action to safeguard accounts, information and research, and computing resources. It’s the digital equivalent of looking both ways before crossing the street. A Lancer team player pauses to stop, think, then clicks only if appropriate.
Many users have a false sense of security, believing that technology solutions such as passwords, anti-virus, and network firewalls protect them from the evils of the Internet. Technology cannot protect against everything, so online users also need to act like firewalls.
You’re browsing the web on your mobile device and a pop-up appears to download the site’s mobile app.
Some apps provide an optimized experience for mobile devices and provide value. Use the AppStore & iTunes or Google Play for trusted apps, games and media. But other apps may be harmful or continually track your location, so use caution before installing. Don’t install apps that ask for permissions that don’t make sense for the app. Read an app's reviews before installing it. Delete apps that you’re not using.
"I do not need another app, but thanks for the offer."
A Lancer Team Player thinks about a situation's cybersecurity implications and takes appropriate action to safeguard accounts, information and research, and computing resources. It’s the digital equivalent of looking both ways before crossing the street. A Lancer team player pauses to stop, think, then clicks only if appropriate.
You are tagged in a post on social media, asking you to respond to a series of fun questions about yourself, and to share it to your wall, tagging others, and the person who tagged you.
While fun and a way to connect with your friends on social media, these surveys reveal a lot of information about yourself. The details are often like what is used for security questions or identity verification. Publishing this data makes it easier for someone to impersonate you.
Ignore the tag and do not respond.
You off-campus working on your laptop or phone. You notice that there is a Wi-Fi network available that you recognize.
Questions you might ask yourself before connecting to the Wi-Fi network:
Hackers can setup a lookalike network to lure you into connecting so that they can intercept all your communication. Only connect to wireless networks that are secured and in a place you expect them to be. Use a VPN to prevent eavesdropping.
Don’t connect.
Many users have a false sense of security, believing that technology solutions such as passwords, anti-virus, and network firewalls protect them from the evils of the Internet. Technology cannot protect against everything, so online users also need to act like firewall.
You receive a call from your bank or credit card company to inform you about a fraudulent transaction detected from your computer. They’d like to do a remote computer session with you to solve the problem.
This is an example of a phishing trend. Criminals are taking advantage of the banks that offer account alerts and use it to start a conversation and build initial rapport. They are trying to access to your computer so they can compromise it with spyware or ransomware. Contact your bank or credit card company directly yourself using your usual method.
End the call, nobody has time to be hacked.
A co-worker sends an email asking you to send them a staff list because the boss is away.
Questions you might ask yourself before sending the list:
An attacker could be impersonating your co-worker, trying to trick you into sending them information that they can use to target others in your department. Even if the request is legitimate, are you the person that should be sending the information? Perhaps you could direct them to the departmental administrator or human resources instead.
"Sorry, I don’t think I have an up-to-date list."
A human firewall is someone who thinks about the cybersecurity implications of a situation and takes appropriate action to safeguard accounts, information and research, and computing resources. It’s the digital equivalent of looking both ways before crossing the street. A human firewall pauses to stop, think, then clicks only if appropriate.
Many users have a false sense of security, believing that technology solutions such as passwords, anti-virus, and network firewalls protect them from the evils of the Internet. Technology cannot protect against everything, so online users also need to be human firewalls.
