Keeping Information Security Simple – “Denial is not a river in Egypt!”
Letter from the CISO, Vol 3 Issue 10 Washington University Community: Criminals keep inventing new con attacks I recently saw a news report about a Mexican drug cartel that has gotten into the business of helping elderly Americans get out of the timeshare vacation contracts. This sounds like a good thing. Unfortunately, it is just […]
Chance to Win $100 in Our Monthly Challenge
The OIS is always looking for ways to improve your security and reward your participation in our efforts. Back by popular request, the InfoSec team is assigning the Inside Man as our training competition this March. The Inside Man is a soap opera-style training that covers critical cyber security themes in all its episodes. Watch […]
Reporting Phishing in the ‘New’ Outlook
The Phish Alert Button (PAB) is one of our team’s most valuable tools for keeping the WashU community safe. When you report a phishing email using the PAB, our office will investigate the threat and take any necessary action, such as removing all similar messages from systems and notifying our community of the danger. If […]
Scam of the Month: DEA Impersonation Phone Call
According to Washington University School of Medicine Protective Services, the WUSM Physical Therapy department received a call from someone impersonating the DEA to steal personally identifiable information. In the call, they claimed to be an investigator from the DEA headquarters, saying that a nurse practitioner had reported fraud under their name, medical license number, and […]
The Power of Virtual Private Networks (VPN) in Privacy Protection
In the digital age where a lot of our private information is on the internet – in public and supposedly in private storage – ensuring online privacy has become even more integral to protecting your online activity and identity. According to Cobalt’s Top Cybersecurity Statistics for 2024, there are over 2,200 cyberattacks a day (a […]
The Deaf Lottery Scam
Back in his federal law enforcement days, WUSM’s Assistant Director of Investigations and Crime Prevention, Steve Manley, came upon an advance fee scam. An informant who operated a corner store in East St. Louis called him one afternoon. He told Manley a customer was sending large sums of money to Nigeria via Western Union. The caller […]
Thanks for Making the E-Waste Recycling Event a Success
On Tuesday, March 26th, the Office of Sustainability and Office of Information Security hosted their biannual electronic waste recycling and secure paper shredding event on the Danforth campus. Thank you to all who supported sustainability by securely recycling their electronic waste and confidential documents. The event was a huge success. In just two and a […]
Keeping Information Security Simple – “Using Code Words to Defeat the AI Menace”
Letter from the CISO, Vol 3 Issue 9 Washington University Community: Artificial Intelligence is a tool Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has received a lot of attention and interest over the past year, primarily due to the great advances in productivity and quality it seems to promise. WashU IT is excited to be helping the university […]
New Device Registration Process for the Wired Network on the WUSM Campus
WashU IT, Information Security, and WUSM ITSS are introducing a new registration process for devices connecting to the wired network. This change will further protect patient, student, research, and academic data from bad actors. We will begin implementing this change in early 2024. It will be rolled out in a measured pace to minimize impact […]
Chance to Win $100 in Our Monthly Challenge
The OIS is always looking for ways to improve your security and reward your participation in our efforts. This month, we’d like to test your knowledge in a fun ‘Phish or Treat’ game. Phishing When navigating your email, always be on the lookout for red flags that may indicate that it is a phishing email. […]
Scam of the Month: RESEARCH ASSISTANT VACANCY FOR UNDERGRADUATE
The Office of Information Security has observed a trend in which criminals advertise a job while impersonating a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering. Impersonation is one of the most effective social engineering tactics used by scammers, and it can be particularly enticing if offered employment. If you see a message like the one below, […]
Security Tips for Spring Break
Spring Break is right around the corner, and many in the WashU community will be traveling for conferences, studying away, researching elsewhere, visiting family, or just going somewhere relaxing. No matter where you go, your smartphone will undoubtedly be at your side. These handy devices have become our constant companions for just about anything you […]
Keeping Information Security Simple – “New Year’s Resolution – Innovate Your Password Management”
Letter from the CISO, Vol 3 Issue 8 Washington University Community: New Year – New Password Discipline “Password Discipline” certainly sounds like the kind of New Year’s resolution that will be abandoned within 24 hours. But it truly needs to be on everyone’s list. Good password management is critical for protecting yourself, your family, and […]
Chance to Win $100 in Our Monthly Challenge
The OIS is always looking for ways to improve your security and reward your participation in our efforts. This month, we’d like to cover a phishing tactic that uses your phone as a medium for scammers. This scam is called ‘Vishing.’ Vishing Cybercriminals are continuously looking for new and unexpected ways to contact you. While […]
Keep Your Information Secure This Tax Season
Tax season officially begins on January 29, and internet scammers will capitalize on the moment. The Internal Revenue Service initiates most contact through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service. Sometimes, they will call or visit, but other than that, “The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social […]