October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), and it’s a great time to be reminded of the importance of protection information at work and school, at home and abroad. Here are a few things we can all do to stay safer online. 

Securely share information. If you need to share sensitive data (SSNs, grades, financial info, etc.) with someone outside of Drake, you can do so through encrypted email or OneDrive. Via email, just include the phrase “encrypted message:” in the subject. See more instructions. Sharing data through OneDrive brings people into the data rather than sending it out, and you can control what level of access those people have. See the “How do I temporarily share my files to others?” section of this article. 

Keep devices updated. Vendors regularly release updates containing security patches, and many require the app or device to be restarted. ITS remotely pushes patches to Drake-owned computers on a regular basis. Watch for reminders to update or restart, and act as soon as you’ve saved your work. 

Continue to watch for phishing. Phishing continues to be the main method for attackers to successfully breach organizations. It only takes one mindless click or download for malware to take hold and begin stealing information. 

Set up multi-factor on accounts. Using multi-factor authentication (MFA or 2FA) on user accounts prevents attackers from logging in, even when they know your password. Make sure you’ve set up MFA on financial, bill-pay, online shopping, and social media sites. 

Understand and maintain your digital profile. Every time you click, share, send, or post it creates a digital trail that can be exploited by criminals. To protect yourself from becoming a victim, you must understand, secure, and maintain your digital profile. Be familiar with and routinely check privacy settings to help you stay safe. 

If you have any questions about these tips, please contact the information security team at informationsecurity@drake.edu. 

— Peter Lundstedt, ITS