Information Security. Louis Morgan, CISSP Information Security Officer

Transcription

1 Information Security By Louis Morgan, CISSP Information Security Officer

2 Why Bother with IT Security? Recent estimate million personal computers worldwide. Computer hackers are out there. How long do you think an unprotected PC will remain uninfected after it is connected to the internet?

3 Responsible PVAMU Since you're using PVAMU computing resources, you're obligated to: Abide by PVAMU s University Rules, Information Security Standards, and all relevant local, state, and federal laws. Protect your computing account(s). For example: Log out of sites that require authentication and log off of shared computers such as those in Open Access Labs.

4 Responsible PVAMU Don't: Let someone use your account (e.g., log-in as "you ). Use PVAMU computing resources for illegal purposes, or commercial activities.

5 Password - First Line of Defense Passwords, in combination with a username, help authenticate users. They are the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your computing devices and your accounts. Therefore, it is important that you create strong passwords and keep them secure from disclosure.

6 Creating Strong Passwords Strong Passwords Should Contain: At least 2 upper case letters (A-Z) At least 2 lower case letters (a-z) At least 2 numbers (one of which is NOT the first or last character of the password) At least 2 special characters (*$#-^) At least 8 characters

7 Password Example Think of a phrase or sentence that's easy for you to remember. Such as Look before you leap Lb4u!3@P

8 Protecting Your Passwords Don't allow websites or Internet Browsers to "remember" your passwords. Use caution when typing in a password in public, someone may be watching. Change your password when you suspect that someone else may know it.

9 Portable Device Security Keep track of your portable device(s), especially those flash drives. Don't leave your laptop (or other portable device) lying around or unattended in public areas; and store it in a safe place (out of sight) when you're not using it.

10 Protecting Your Data with Encryption You can encrypt: Files Folders USB/Flash Drives Attachments Images Videos Hard Drives and more... For more information see PVAMU encryption training

11 Backing Up Your Data Back up anything that's important to you. Papers/essays, Projects, Research data, Pictures, Music files, and more... Methods: Save the file to your share drive. Save the file on a CD/DVD, flash drive, etc.

12 Malware Malware is software designed to infiltrate and/or damage a computer system. The most common forms of malware are: Viruses and Worms Trojan Horses, Root kits, Backdoors Spyware

13 Web Threats How can you avoid online threats? Watch out for "phishy" s. Beware of fraudulent ("spoofed") websites. Seeing spam pop-ups or ads? Click with caution.

14 Beware of Fraudulent Sites Pharming, a form of phishing, is becoming one of the most popular forms of web attack. Just by typing in a URL and visiting a website, you could be directed to a fraudulent site. Before disclosing any personal information online, check the website certificate to make sure you're not at a fraudulent site. Open the website certificate. Make sure the name following "Issued to" matches the site you think you're on.

15 To click, or not to click? Web threats come in various forms, and understandably some are more obvious than others. Phishing attacks and pop-up downloads are easier to detect and protect against than pharming attacks and drive-by downloads, however one thing that will assist in avoiding these threats is paying attention to what you click on. Don't click on: Pop-ups or spam mail. Links within that ask for your personal information.

16 If You Are Still Unsure Contact the supposed/claimed sender (e.g., your bank or credit card company) using the contact information on the company's official website. Never respond to an requesting your password, username, Social Security number, credit/debit card number, or other personal information, no matter how official it looks.

17 5 Ways to Protect Your Computer Patches/Updates Anti-Virus Software Personal Firewall - Install a third-party 'bidirectional' firewall (one that protects against inbound and outbound threats) Anti-Spyware - Install an anti-spyware program, Caution: Free Downloads - Download only from trusted websites (e.g., Download.com)

18 File Sharing & Copyright Law (DMCA)* Be aware that file-sharing can: Expose your computer to malware Accidentally expose personal/confidential information Lead to copyright infringement Keep in mind... your online activity is not anonymous and it is traceable * The Digital Millennium Copyright Act

19 THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK!

20 QUESTIONS?

21 Contact Information Louis Morgan