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Information Security
Article Archive #2
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Importance of Security
Information security is about addressing and reducing IT RISK. It’s easy to overlook risk as a topic when all you hear is talk about passwords, firewalls, encryption, policies, or two-factor authentication. In this section, you’ll read about how the university is at risk and what you can do to reduce the risk in your group, department, and college.
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Digital Privacy—What is a Data Broker?
In today’s digital age, personal information has become a valuable commodity. Data brokers have emerged as key players in this data-driven economy. Data brokers operate behind the scenes, gathering vast amounts of personal information from various sources. They compile detailed profiles on individuals and sell this data to businesses, marketers, and even government agencies. Understanding…
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What is a Pentester?
In the realm of cybersecurity, penetration testers, commonly known as pentesters, play a vital role in safeguarding digital assets. These professionals are tasked with identifying and ethically exploiting vulnerabilities in an organization’s IT infrastructure to help strengthen its security posture. By simulating real-world attacks, pentesters help organizations understand their vulnerabilities and take corrective actions before…
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Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life
Spring is often a time when people begin thinking about cleaning up their personal living space and getting rid of old belongings. It is also a good time to tighten your data security. Here are some places you might find some cyber dust bunnies! These are only a few examples of where you may practice…
Scam Types
Scams used to be easier to detect without worry. A Nigerian prince asks for a few hundred dollars to give you access to his fortune. But those days are gone, and scammers are in a constant arms race with cybersecurity for your sensitive information. Learn about the different types of scams and how to deal with them.
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Pretexting
Now more than ever, cybercriminals are using a tactic known as pretexting to catch you off guard. Pretexting is when a cybercriminal impersonates a real person and asks you for help with a fake scenario. They often carry on a conversation with you and use public information to convince you that they are who they…
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Permission to Hack
Malware researchers recently discovered a trojan app on the Google Play Store. Trojans are malicious applications or software that appear legitimate. Thousands of users downloaded this app before knowing it was malicious. So, it’s important to learn how to spot malicious apps. In this scam, cybercriminals uploaded a malicious screen recording app on the Google…
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PayPal Payment Ploy
Recently, cybercriminals have taken advantage of the popular (and international) online payment platform, PayPal. Cybercriminals are spoofing PayPal to try and steal your personal or financial information. Cybercriminals in this PayPal ploy send you a phishing email saying that one of your payments didn’t process and that you must act fast. The email contains a…
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Smishing for Bank Information
A smishing attack(a phishing attack through SMS, or “text” messaging) was recently used by a ring of cybercriminals to steal credit card information. The cybercriminals used this stolen bank information to purchase cryptocurrency (BITCOIN) that they then exchanged for cash. Cybercriminals sent SMS messages pretending to be a bank. The message says that a security…
Benefits & Tips for You
In this section, you can learn about all the different tools available to you at UT, such as secure file sharing and monitoring your systems. We will also share best practices for staying secure at school and at home.
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The Need to Replace SMS-Based MFA
In December 2024, the FBI and CISA advised Americans against using SMS codes for multi-factor/two-factor (MFA/2FA) authentication. CISA’s Mobile Communications Best Practice Guidance bluntly recommended: “Do not use SMS as a second factor for authentication. SMS messages are not encrypted–a threat actor with access to a telecommunication provider’s network who intercepts these messages can read…
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Safeguarding Your Remote Work
Remote work in higher education is now the norm. To keep your online work safe using university-provided tools like OneDrive and Microsoft Teams, follow these straightforward steps: Working remotely in higher education is convenient and secure when you use the university-provided tools while taking these precautionary steps.
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Privacy Concerns with Onboard AI: Microsoft Copilot
Continuing with privacy concerns with onboard AI, Microsoft Copilot, which uses the hardware on any system with Windows 11 Copilot+ to run the native AI of Copilot, has been seen as a potential issue for user privacy. We’ve highlighted a few privacy concerns associated with Microsoft Copilot: You can opt out of data collection for…
Protecting University Data
Discover essential articles on cybersecurity practices specifically tailored for the University of Tennessee. Learn effective strategies to safeguard sensitive information, defend against threats, and maintain data integrity. Equip yourself with knowledge to protect your university’s digital ecosystem.
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MFA + Strong Passwords: Your Best Defense Against Account Attacks
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts by requiring more than just a password to sign in. Even if a password is stolen through phishing, malware, or a data breach, MFA can still prevent an attacker from accessing your account. This additional safeguard is especially important because passwords can be…
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Digital Privacy—What is a Data Broker?
In today’s digital age, personal information has become a valuable commodity. Data brokers have emerged as key players in this data-driven economy. Data brokers operate behind the scenes, gathering vast amounts of personal information from various sources. They compile detailed profiles on individuals and sell this data to businesses, marketers, and even government agencies. Understanding…
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Getting Into the Mindset of a Hacker
Have you ever wondered how a hacker looks at systems and finds unexpected ways around controls meant to keep them out? Is this a special mindset or a thought process that is learned? The mindset of a hacker can vary widely, but generally, it involves a few key traits and perspectives: While the term “hacker”…