LEXINGTON, Ky. — To kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month, University of Kentucky Information Technology Services (UK ITS) will release vital information, tips, trainings and conclude the month with CyberCon 2023. All UK students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the free one-day event.
With the ease of managing everything from medical records to your banking information online, it’s increasingly essential to practice good cybersecurity habits. Investing in cybersecurity helps maintain critical infrastructure and protect confidential data in both the public and private sectors.
To that end, UK ITS recommends the following activities for the UK community:
• Join a digital scavenger hunt. By navigating through websites and articles to answer questions, participants can then submit their answers for a chance to win a prize.
• Watch the award-winning web series “Inside Man.” Check out a new season of the show developed to rival online streaming series with a focus on cybersecurity every Monday.
• Take new cybersecurity courses available to UK employees in myUK Learning. These new courses range from three to 45 minutes and are designed to accommodate any schedule and level of cybersecurity knowledge.
Jennifer Edwards, a member of the enterprise cybersecurity team at the university, says everyone should learn more about cybersecurity.
“Empowering higher education professionals with robust cybersecurity training is the cornerstone of a resilient digital campus. It not only fortifies our institution against evolving threats but also nurtures a culture of digital vigilance, safeguarding the future of education in an increasingly interconnected world,” Edwards said.
This October marks the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, first designated by Congress in 2004. Today the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends that everyone take a few simple steps to ensure that cybersecurity is top of mind all year long.
• Use a password manager and strong passwords. This simple step can protect your personal and financial information by keeping track of one password and storing the rest.
• When prompted enable multifactor authentication for all your online accounts. This extra step reduces your chances of being hacked.
• Report phishing attempts. When you receive a suspicious email attempting to gain access to your personal information, report it to your email provider, IT department or wherever you receive the attempt.
• Regularly update your software. Software updates addresses security issues and helps your devices run more efficiently.
For more information about cybersecurity efforts at UK and awareness activities happening during the month of October, visit its.uky.edu/CyberSafe or follow UK ITS on social media by visiting https://linktr.ee/its_uky.
—By Marci Adams
