Security Task Force Announcements and Security Awareness

This year's National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is now over and the list of 2008 campus events on the EDUCAUSE Security Task Force NCSAM Resource Kit website, demonstrates the tremendous effort, creativity and hard work that many of you contributed in support of this important initiative. THANK YOU to all of you for your support.

If your event is not yet listed on the website, please share the URL or brief description of your NCSAM-related initiatives, as well as the outcomes you realized, with the participants on this discussion list or send an email to Security-Task-Force@educause.edu.

Sincerely,

Awareness and Training Working Group Co-Chairs Cherry Delaney (Purdue University) and Jodi Ito (University of Hawaii)

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). As we rely more on technology-based solutions in our everyday lives, cybersecurity becomes everyone's responsibility. We encourage you to consider ways you can raise awareness among your faculty, staff, and students and invite you to help promote NCSAM. For further suggestions, please consult the Resource Kit for National Cyber Security Awareness Month, developed by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Security Task Force. 

Additional EDUCAUSE resources include: 

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM)...but it's never too soon to start planning your campus events!!! We encourage you to consider ways that you can raise awareness among your faculty, staff, and students, and invite you to help promote NCSAM. For further suggestions, please consult the Resource Kit for National Cyber Security Awareness Month, developed by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Security Task Force.

Although phishing is not a new threat to the higher ed community, many schools have experienced an increasing number of targeted phishing attacks over the past several months. These phishing e-mails ask students, faculty, and staff to provide their institutional username and password. Once an account is compromised, it is typically used to send out more spam, which creates a new set of problems for the institution.

Many schools are working to combat these phishing attacks through education and awareness activities over the next few weeks as students return to campus. In an effort to assist institutions, EDUCAUSE has compiled a number of phishing resources that include websites on phishing, quizzes and games, and downloadable materials (e.g., posters, brochures, bookmarks, postcards, and videos). Please share any additional suggested resources with the Security Task Force.

In "Security Metrics: A Solution in Search of a Problem", a recent EDUCAUSE Quarterly article, Joel Rosenblatt (Manager of Computer and Network Security, Columbia University) describes how the creation and collection of appropriate metrics can enhance an institution's security program. Learn about some potential metrics in the following areas: policy and compliance, network and machine monitoring, outreach and education, legal compliance, authorization and authentication, asset protection, and privacy.

The EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force, in cooperation with the ResearchChannel, is conducting its third annual contest in search of computer security awareness posters and short videos developed by college students for college students. The contest, which is co-sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and CyberWATCH, offers cash prizes ($1,000, $800 and $400) to the winners in each of the four categories. It also provides an opportunity for students to gain experience by developing creative and effective short videos or posters. The deadline for submission of entries is April 30, 2009.

The EDUCAUSE/Internet Security Task Force provided a briefing to the CSIS Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency on March 12, 2008, during the event "Improving Cybersecurity: Recommendations from Private Sector Experts". A 1-page summary of the briefing is available, as well as the complete transcript.

This year's National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is now over and the list of 2007 campus events on the EDUCAUSE Security Task Force Web site demonstrates the tremendous effort, creativity, and hard work that many of you contributed in support of this important initiative. Thank you to all of you for your support.

If your event is not yet listed on the website, please share the URL or brief description of your NCSAM-related initiatives, as well as the outcomes you realized, with the participants on the Security Discussion list or send an email to: Security-Task-Force@educause.edu.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). As we rely more on technology-based solutions in our everyday lives, cybersecurity becomes everyone’s responsibility. We encourage you to consider ways you can raise awareness among your faculty, staff, and students, and invite you to help promote NCSAM. For further suggestions, please consult the Resource Kit for National Cyber Security Awareness Month, developed by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Security Task Force.

Additional EDUCAUSE resources include:

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM)...but it's never too soon to start planning your campus events!!! We encourage you to consider ways that you can raise awareness among your faculty, staff, and students, and invite you to help promote NCSAM. For further suggestions, please consult the Resource Kit for National Cyber Security Awareness Month, developed by the EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Security Task Force.

Many colleges and universities are already planning events or developing awareness resources for NCSAM that we would like to highlight as part of higher education's ongoing efforts to increase awareness within our community. We've already started a list of institutions that will be holding events in October 2007. Please share the URL or plans for your NCSAM-related initiatives with the Security Discussion Group or send us an e-mail so your institution's plans can be included.