October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a global effort to help everyone stay safe and protected when using technology whenever and however you connect. West Chester University Information Services and Technology (IS&T) is once again participating in the Cybersecurity Awareness Month program run by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create awareness about cybersecurity. This year's awareness theme is "Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart." Each week in October, we will provide information and tips from IST and leading cybersecurity organizations on protecting yourself online. Our goal is to help you make the most of today's technology…safely and securely.
Stay protected while connected.
Before you connect to any open/public wireless network (like at an airport, hotel, or cafe) be sure to confirm the name of the network and exact login procedures to ensure that the network is legitimate. If you use an unsecured public access point, practice good internet hygiene by avoiding sensitive activities (banking and shopping) that require passwords or credit cards. Using a personal hotspot or cellular data is often a safer alternative to free Wi-Fi.
Only use sites that begin with https:// when online shopping or banking.
West Chester University's RamNet WiFi is a secured network. It is secured by an enterprise network authentication protocol called 802.1X. Using this protocol, all network traffic, including usernames and passwords, are encrypted during transmission. During the connection process, usernames and passwords are checked to verify that the user is an active member of the WCU community. Once confirmed, appropriate network access is assigned based off network needs and requirements. Remember, free Wifi could cost you: https://www.wcupa.edu//infoServices/security/documents/FreeWifiCouldCostYou.pdf
Deny a Duo login approval request if you did not initiate it.
Imagine you are getting coffee with friends and you receive a Duo Multifactor authentication request on your phone. You suspect that it is fraudulent because you are not trying to log into any systems or accounts. What should you do?
You should deny the request. This article explains how to deny a fraudulent Duo login approval request:
https://wcupaprod.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0011185
WCU Transitioning to Modern Authentication
Currently WCU's Office 365 environment allows users to authenticate using Basic Authentication as well as Modern Authentication. Microsoft plans to retire Basic Authentication and has encouraged the full adoption of Modern Authentication. To improve security and ensure usage of MFA, WCU will move to Modern Authentication and will disable Basic Authentication for students starting October 14, 2021, and followed by employees during the month of November. Targeted communication will be sent to users who need to make this change and will include step by step instructions. Learn more about the transition to Modern Authentication
https://wcupaprod.service-now.com/sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0011170
IS&T Security Awareness Website:
https://www.wcupa.edu/infoServices/security/ITSecurityAwareness.aspx
#CyberMonth #cybersecurity #InformationSecurity
