While large corporations such as Home Depot, Target and JP Morgan grab the biggest headlines in terms of security issues, no organizations, including higher education institutions, are immune from threats.
A simple click on an attachment or a web link by one person can lead to wide-spread consequences. Though many situations are preventable, more people need to be aware of simple precautions. October is National Cyber Security Awareness month and MSU is getting the word out about the role we all play in keeping the MSU’s digital assets and community protected.
“Emerging cyber threats require engagement from the entire community,” said MSU Chief Information Security Officer Rob McCurdy. “This month is a time to educate the MSU community on the importance of staying safe online.”
NCSAM is a coordinated national effort held in October focusing on the need for improved online safety and security. This year’s theme, “Our Shared Responsibility,” aims to remind everyone that the Internet and technology is a shared resource and securing it is our collective duty. All users of MSU’s Internet, MSUnet, should do their part in making it safer.
To protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information in today's highly networked environment, MSU is asking all of its Internet users to:
• Understand their roles and responsibilities related to securing institutional data as posted at eis.msu.edu/sid/.
• Understand the organization's information technology security policies, procedures, and practices; specifically those listed at itservices.msu.edu/guidelines-policies/.
• Gain knowledge of the various management, operational, and technical controls required and available to protect the IT resources for which they are responsible.
• Stay informed and get involved by regularly visiting http://tech.msu.edu/secureIT/.
“Hackers have a lot of time and money to find one vulnerability,” said MSU vice president and chief information officer Joanna Young. “As an institution, optimally we have to find and fix all vulnerabilities, and reduce our risk. A primary example of risk reduction is MSU’s planned implementation of two-factor authentication for enterprise university systems.”