MU takes Cyber Security Awareness Month seriously
The Division of IT offers free software and security tips.
Oct. 7, 2008
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, a subject MU does not take lightly.
When a hacker broke into an application and released the Social Security Numbers of many MU students in May 2007, the Division of Information Technology immediately alerted the victims to download ID surveillance programs and set up an emergency call center to help them take preventative measures against identity theft.
"We received a lot of calls," Division of IT spokesman Terry Robb said. "My IT colleagues and I talked to a lot of people personally."
He said such attacks on the MU computer system are extremely rare. The 2007 attack was the only cyber attack on MU of any significance to date.
The Division of IT will host several events throughout this month to promote cyber safety. The events will begin on Wednesday with a presentation by the MU Police Department about identity theft. The presentation is from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Memorial Union and is free to students.
"The presentation has a lot of great tips," IT system security analyst Becky Fowler said.
Robb said the Division of IT has a full-time staff dedicated to protecting the university's servers. This group, called Information Security and Account Management, consists of 10-15 people whose jobs are account management and responding to any threats to MU's systems. The group offers consulting help to the other departments on campus.
"When students come to campus, we want to make sure they have anti-virus software," Robb said.
The Division of IT purchases anti-virus software from the Symantec Corporation and distributes it at no charge to students or faculty. Students and faculty can download the software through the Division of IT Web site.
Fowler said MU uses a corporate version of Symantec's software. This allows MU to distribute the software at no charge to users. It also allows users to download free updates once the software is installed. Fowler strongly recommended students update their anti-virus software regularly.
Fowler had some tips for individual computer users. First, students must protect their password. Fowler said it is a bad idea for students to give their password to anyone, even a boyfriend or girlfriend. She said no legitimate Internet service provider, bank or other company would ask for someone to e-mail his or her password.
She also recommended keeping operating systems, applications and anti-virus software current. Fowler said any operating system, no matter how carefully developed, will have faults which the company will address with patches as they become apparent. These patches can be downloaded from the software provider's Web site or through regular online updates.
Brandon Hough, the MU Information Security Officer, said students should keep track of their laptops, cell phones and other electronics. Anyone can walk away with a student's laptop and immediately have access to the student's personal information.
He also recommended logging off any public computers, such as at a library. If someone does not log off of a public computer, it is possible for someone else to use that person's account to access personal information.
In the event of a major cyber attack on MU's systems like the one in 2007, Hough said MU already has protocol in place to deal with the attack. The Division of Information Technology would determine the scope of the attack and remove any affected systems from the MU network. They would then work to trace the attack, notifying law enforcement and affected users as needed.
Robb does not recommend any particular type of protection software, operating system or Internet browser.
"As long as they're secure, I'm happy with all of them," he said.
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