October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, an annual initiative to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. Cyber security is everyone’s job, including yours.

At Fresno State, we consider security to be a shared responsibility. Therefore, each week in October, Technology Services will share tips and practices designed to improve your Cyber security knowledge. Our goal is to promote deliberate, mindful behavior that serves to protect our information assets.

Every day, more and more devices are connected to the Internet. Any device connected to the Internet is vulnerable to various risks. Keeping safe while using the Internet is a shared responsibility and has never been more important. It has become much more than just an Information Technology (IT) issue; almost everyone in our society is potentially at risk.

We invite you to join us in our quest to improve your cybersecurity knowledge by taking a moment to read each weekly tip featured in the Campus News.

Protecting Connected Devices

• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (2-Step Verification) for your university accounts. 2-Step Verification adds a second layer of security to your Fresno State account, keeping your account secure even if your password is compromised. Verifying your identity using a second factor such as your desk phone, mobile device, or token prevents anyone but you from logging in even if your password is compromised. You may already be familiar with this if you do online banking.

• Learn how to Spot a Phishing Email. Phishing is not a new phenomenon. Phishing attacks continue to increase in number and impact. Attackers are constantly sending phishing email messages to our email addresses in attempts to steal sensitive information such as passwords or credit card numbers. Socially engineered phishing emails are the most dangerous. They are constructed to be relevant and appear genuine to their targets. Spotting these phishing attempts is critical.

• Secure Your Password. The more devices and accounts that we create, the more passwords we must keep track of. A good practice is to change passwords on a regular basis and not to use the same password. Having different passwords for each service is a good practice for securing your accounts. Furthermore, it is important to have strong passwords and use multi-factor authentication if it is available.

• Enable Automatic Updates. Learn how to enable automatic updates on all your devices. It is common practice for hardware and software vendors to issue regular updates patching software flaws and security vulnerabilities. Updating and patching the operating system is usually a way to fix bugs and security problems for your computer. Keeping your operating system and applications updated is a good strategy that helps to secure your computer and, thus, your data.

• Protect Your Mobile Device. As experienced users of mobile technologies, we often use our smartphones to navigate the Internet, download apps and get updates for local services. However, mobile devices are constantly connected to the Internet, so they require additional diligence. Consider the following habits to protect mobile devices:
  o Lock your device with a strong passcode or touch ID when not in use
  o Connect only to secure Wi-Fi networks
  o Check your Bluetooth settings – disable when not in use
  o Scrutinize permission requests when using or installing apps
  o Examine if you have disclosed your location to unwanted entities

Thank you for remaining diligent in protecting yourself and the sensitive data for which Fresno State is responsible.