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October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
By Steve Brukbacher, Office of Security Administration
UWM will be offering
two free programs on computer security as part of "National Cyber Security
Month" during October. The one-hour programs, on Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 from
1-2:30 p.m. in Union E250, focus on "Information Security Basics" on
Oct. 24, and "Identity Theft/Fraud Prevention" on Oct. 31. (For
registration information, see https://www3.uwm.edu/IMT/services/training/courses/index.cfm#deskmain)
UWM’s
efforts are part of a nationwide effort to promote information security. The
nonprofit group National Cyber Security Alliance has partnered with the
Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Trade Commission in these
efforts, and has designated October as "National Cyber Security Awareness
Month." In addition to these and other programs, UWM has joined the effort to
promote Cyber Sercurity by providing security articles and unveiling new online
resources. "Cyber Security Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise
awareness of the importance of cyber security and empower all Americans to
protect themselves online and ensure that their computers are not used to attack
others," reports Andy Purdy, acting director of the National Cyber Security
Division at the Department of Homeland Security.
According to the Alliance's
recently redesigned website (www.staysafeonline.org), the "National Cyber
Security Awareness Month unites entities from federal, state and local
government as well as the education and business communities, all of whom share
a common goal to educate the public and provide tools to help them engage in
safe online activity." The www.staysafeonline.org website also features
a list of the "Top Eight Cyber Security Practices."
UWM Efforts
UWM’s Office of Security Administration has teamed up with University
Relations to provide a series of articles which will run in the UWM Report, the
Today@UWM website (www.uwm.edu/News/PR) and the UWM Information Security website
(security.uwm.edu). Look for feature articles on such topics as "How to
spot Phishing Scams." In addition, a number of new online resources are
being unveiled in October.
Federal Trade Commission Efforts
The Federal Trade Commission has been a leader in the area of consumer
protection for a long time. As part of this year's security awareness month,
they have unveiled an informative and educational website, titled "OnGuard
OnLine" (onguardonline.gov). This new website features interactive
quizzes, tutorials and videos to educate the public about online
safety.
"The FTC’s new website is a really user-friendly way to
educate the community about protecting their personal information," notes
Steve Brukbacher, information security coordinator for UWM's Information and
Media Technologies office.
"We’re always looking for interesting ways to reach our audience to
help them understand the often complex threats that are out there."
UWM Information Security
UWM also has redesigned its Information Security website (security.uwm.edu) to
include better access to security-related policies and procedures, security
alerts and security news sections for real-time updates on information security
developments, as well as rotating feature articles and practical
tips.
I&MT’s Office of Security Administration recently began
offering the information security training classes free of charge to all members
of the community. These one-hour presentations provide details on protecting
your personal information at UWM and at home. In these classes, you’ll get
practical steps to secure your home computer, spot emails and online tactics
used to gain your personal information, and information about what to do if you
think you have been victimized. "We’ve worked to design our
training so that the participants leave with practical, real- life things they
can do to protect themselves. For instance, how do you tell the difference
between someone trying to steal your information and a legitimate online
transaction? We try to provide insight into distinguishing between legitimate
and unsafe online communication," explains Brukbacher.
Important Resources
UWM Information Security website: http://security.uwm.eduFederal Trade
Commission new website promoting Internet safety:
http://onguardonline.gov/ National Cyber Security Alliance:
http://www.staysafeonline.org Sign up for free security courses at UWM in
October: http://www3.uwm.edu/imt/happenings/courselist.cfm
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