It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is the first day of December! Keeping this in mind, I want to remind everyone that hackers are more likely to initiate scams at this time of year, regardless of a global pandemic. This is mostly because so many people shop online and some don’t pay close enough attention to possible phishing emails that are intertwined with the real ones. Be sure to pay attention to every email that you receive to ensure no nefarious activity is happening regarding your work account, and even your personal accounts. And don’t forget that I have tips regarding current/ongoing scams and hoaxes on the UTIAsecurity site.
Speaking of current scams and hoaxes, the Better Business Bureau has announced a new phishing scam asking for the recipient to validate their Zoom credentials. Do NOT click on this link! Instead, go to Zoom to click “Sign In.” When presented with the login page, scroll down to “Sign in with SSO,” then type “tennessee” for the domain and click on “Continue.” The UT Central Authentication Service page will appear and you will enter your NetID and password. Zoom has been one of the primary targets to attack during this year because so many people must use it now. I will be adding this information to the UTIAsecurity site later today if you wish to read more.
2020 has been one of the most important times to take the required Securing the Human Training, which is due by 11:59 pm today. As of this morning, there are approximately 200 users who have NOT completed the training. I can’t think of a more critical time to have this training, due to all the chaos that has been going on this year, continues to take place, and has led to so many cyber security problems in 2020. If you have not completed this training, please do so today but going to K@TE. You will choose “UT Faculty and Staff,” then log in with your NetID and password. Once logged in, your training will be under “Your Transcript” at the bottom middle of the page.
Finally, it’s that time of year when I like to remind you of one of our most important IT Security policies: UTIA IT0110 – Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Security Policy (AUP). This policy is all about the roles and responsibilities of the users with regards to Institute-owned and University-owned IT assets. Not only is this policy referenced by almost every IT Security policy we have, it makes it clear that we are all required to comply with all Institute and University policies and procedures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Institute-owned IT assets (including UTIA IT0123 – Security Awareness, Training, and Education Policy).
Thank you all for all that you do!
Sandy
