Sent to UM-Ann Arbor and UM-Flint students through email on October 10, 2019.
Hello U-M students,
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and a reminder that we all play a part in securing and protecting information across the university. In that spirit, here are five ways that you can make a real difference in securing your personal information—as well as that of your friends, family, and the university community.
Turn on Duo two-factor authentication for Weblogin
If you already use Duo, THANK YOU! You’re one of the tens of thousands of U-M students, faculty, and staff who are helping to secure the university’s data and digital assets by using Duo.
If you haven’t turned it on yet, we encourage you to turn on Duo before it’s required for all U-M Ann Arbor students on January 29, 2020. It only takes a few minutes once you have your device handy. Most students choose to use the Duo Mobile app on their smartphone, but other options are available.
Update, update, update
Keep your software current to take advantage of security updates that protect you against threats and vulnerabilities—and also get rid of any persistent reminders.
Use unique passwords for each site or service
Don’t reuse passwords. Reusing your U-M password on other websites leaves you vulnerable if any of those sites has a data breach.
Encrypt your devices
Encrypt your laptop, tablet, phone, and other personal devices to protect your information in case they are lost or stolen. Most modern phones are encrypted automatically. See Encrypt Your Data and Devices to learn more.
Participate and stay informed
Take advantage of the many opportunities at U-M to hear from cybersecurity and privacy experts about research, technologies, and strategies to secure and protect systems and data.
- Attend a Safe Computing event. U-M hosts many Safe Computing events throughout the year, including SUMIT, U-M's annual cybersecurity and privacy symposium on Tuesday, October 29.
- Get IT security alerts and news. Unsure if you’ve been phished? Hear about a security breach in the news? Visit U-M’s Safe Computing website and follow @umichTECH for IT security and phishing alerts, as well as the latest in IT security and privacy news.
- Security 101 for students. Later this month, you will receive an email invitation to test your IT security knowledge by taking the Computer Security 101 Exam. Those who complete the exam with a score of 90% or higher will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
Thank you for practicing safe computing. It's good for you and the U.
Ravi Pendse
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
University of Michigan
Sol Bermann
Executive Director of Information Assurance and Chief Information Security Officer
University of Michigan