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Cybersecurity Awareness Month - October 2024

It's a collective responsibility to Secure Our World.

Hello NEIU, it's the month of the year to celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness.

This year’s theme is “Secure Our World.” The theme recognizes the importance of taking daily steps to reduce data breach risks. It reminds us that securing the data we use at home, work, or wherever we go can help Secure Our World and reduce the likelihood of a successful cyber attack. This is a collective responsibility that takes simple steps and a commitment to maintain good security practices.

Intro

Cyber threats are real and can significantly impact those who have been victims. Cybercriminals continue to invent new and more tactical ways to lure their targets to click a link or download an attachment that is malicious to gain unauthorized access to computer systems and data or impersonate someone for financial gain. This year's theme reminds us of simple and practical ways to protect ourselves, our families, and our businesses from cyber threats and focuses on four key ways to do so when online. Each week will focus on a topic and will feature movie clips, training videos, posters, and online games.

In addition to the four topics, we will include other good practices to maintain when on or offline.

Events

Recorded virtual sessions

Live sessions hosted by University Technology Services and Computer Science Department

*Attendees will have the opportunity to win Amazon gift cards.

  • Cybersecurity at NEIU Q&A session on Zoom by University Technology Services. Date and time TBC.
  • From Heuristics to AI-Powered Security: A Case Study with Designing of Effective Honeypot Systems by Dr. Sencun Zhu. Thursday, Oct.24 from 9:30-10:45 a.m. on the Main Campus in Alumni Hall. See Dr. Zhu's bio.
  • AI Security and Threat Models presented by Dr. Mohamed Abuhamad, Loyola University, Chicago. Thursday, Oct. 24 from 5:30-6:50 p.m. on the Main Campus in Alumni Hall. See Dr. Abuhamad's bio.

Other resources from the Computer Science Department

Thanks, and have a cyber-safe October!

 

WEEK ONE: USE STRONG PASSWORDS AND A PASSWORD MANAGER

"There are many ways to keep a user account secure, using a strong password is the first basic step." - UTS

Statistics  

  • 35% of respondents said weak passwords were the main reason their accounts were hacked (Forbes).
  • 86% of breaches involve stolen credentials, according to Google Cloud's 2023 Threat Horizons Report.
  • 30% of respondents said they believed their accounts were compromised because they used the same password across multiple platforms (Forbes).
  • 50% of respondents said that account security was the top reason for using password managers (Bitwarden).

focus

This Week's Focus: Strong Passwords and Password Managers

Using simple passwords like birthdays, holiday seasons, weather, sports teams, anniversaries, hobbies, etc., can be convenient and easy to remember however they also make it very easy and convenient for hackers to crack. According to the National Cybersecurity Alliance, "Using weak passwords is like locking the door but leaving the key in the lock."

With the use of artificial intelligence to carry out cyber crimes, cracking passwords has never been easier but a long and unique password makes a hacker's job more difficult even with the best tools. 

Remembering all unique passwords for various accounts has its challenges, but with password managers, users can easily and quickly create unique passwords or pass phrases, do not need to remember all their passwords, can seamlessly and securely access accounts on multiple websites and devices, and protect against password reuse and compromise.  

You only need to remember the password to your password manager account. This password or passphrase should be at least 16 characters long and unique.

My role: You are the first line of defense to the system and data you use. The stronger your password or passphrase, the safer your data and your organization's data are. Remember, we can Secure Our World when we embrace a good security culture. 

The materials below provide examples and practical ways to secure your user account:

Training videos and movie clips (Log into KnowBe4 and select the Library tab). Enjoy watching!

Game: Cybersecurity Trivia Twirl (external link)

Posters: Click on each one to learn more.

Pump Up Your Password Strength graphic          Password Manager graphic       How to use password manager graphic

 

The University's Password Management Policy was recently updated.