The combination of social media and AI-generated content has made major sharing platforms a prime hunting ground for scammers and cybercriminals. As we continue with Cybersecurity Awareness Month, remember that suspicious activity and online vulnerabilities can come in many forms.

The first line of defense in keeping your information private and safe is you. Practicing the following safety measures will provide you with a safer, more enjoyable social media experience:

• Be wary of altered photos. Deepfakes, AI-generated images, and photoshopped images may look realistic and deceiving. Be sure to verify what you’re looking at before sharing it.
• Keep your information private. Use privacy settings on social media to control who sees your information. Refrain from posting or sharing anything you’re not comfortable with anyone seeing.
• Be careful who you share with. Bots may be used to comment and message you on social media platforms to learn more about you or gain access to your information or accounts.
• Verify accuracy with a trusted source. AI Chatbots are programmed to communicate with human language and answer questions with automatically generated responses. Always verify the accuracy of the information you are receiving and be wary of misleading, inaccurate, or plagiarized material.

Use social media and AI resources thoughtfully and responsibly. Once something is shared, you can’t take it back.

Take the cybersecurity quiz! The first 150 people to complete the quiz will receive a coupon to use at the campus Starbucks, and all student participants will be entered into a random drawing for 1 of 10 Griff II t-shirts. Complete the quiz by October 31, 2023.

Watch for next week’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month topic in OnCampus. Learn more about cybersecurity, watch videos, and become a part of Drake’s security culture at drake.edu/its/csam.

For ITS assistance, submit a ticket at service.drake.edu/its, visit the lower level of Carnegie Hall, or call 515-271-3001.

— Chris Mielke, ITS