IT Support Center combats phishing threats, enhances cybersecurity | News
The IUP IT Support Center is intensifying efforts to safeguard students from the growing threat of cyber-attacks and fraudulent attempts. Among the most common tactics used by cybercriminals is phishing, a form of social engineering that exploits human vulnerability.
Recent reports indicate there has recently been an insurgence of potential data and information threats to students on IUP’s campus, with attackers using emotionally charged and urgency-based tactics to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information.
IUP continues to utilize authentication methods such as Microsoft Authenticator in hopes of limiting hackers access to student’s accounts.
As an extra safety precaution, the IUP IT Support Center works on educating IUP students on the signs and dangers of breaches on accounts, working to protect IUP students and faculty members on campus from phishing and potential information threats.
In an interview with The Penn, Chief Information Officer of IT Services Todd Cunningham, IT Coordinator Stephen Ditch and IUP Senior Security Analyst Jonathan Roumfort explained what phishing is and why it is so dangerous.
Attackers often pose as credible businesses or people that their victims may be aware of or familiar with. Commonly sent through email, cyber criminals send out messages asking users for their credentials such as a password or a piece of personally identifiable information.
“Cybercriminals know humans are the weakest link in cyber security and they are going after that,” said Roumfort. “Some key things to look out for are grammar mistakes, generic greetings, high urgency and requests for personal information.”
The IUP IT Support Center warns students not to click on any links or attachments that could send possible threats to their accounts. Potential phishing emails should be deleted and reported upon viewing for user safety.
Students and IUP community members can report the validity of an email message using the Phish Alert Button.
“They try to get that fear into you, so your cognitive brain goes out the door,” said Roumfort. “It is important to be vigilant and aware about what you are being asked to do.”
The IT Support Center encourages students to report any case of phishing as soon as they see it occur. If IT Services are not open at the time that an account was phished, students are encouraged to submit an Ihelp ticket or gather more information on theIT Support Center website.
Ihelp is a software ticketing system used by IUP to answer any IT and university business processed questions regardless of whether inside regular business hours or out of hours.
“If it is early in the morning, you can submit an Ihelp ticket and that routes to us,” said Cunningham.
If a student notices unwanted activity on their account Ditch said, “It is important to reach out and start that recovering process as soon as possible.”
When a victim mistakenly sends in their information or password to a cybercriminal, it is important to immediately have them change their password. Resetting an account password establishes security back to the account.
The IT Support Center is located on 950 Grant St. and can be contacted via email at [email protected]. More information, including tips to prepare for cybersecurity issues, can be found on the IT Support Cybersecurity webpage.
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