Beware of Microsoft Phone Scams
Posted: September 16, 2016
Scammers can be very creative and tricky. One ongoing social engineering attack is from scammers who claim to be from Microsoft. Read More
Awareness : Security Awareness Tips
How to Protect Yourself Online
Posted: September 26, 2014
Here are a few suggestions on ways to keep your personal information more secure when you go online. Read More
Scam Alert: That Robocall Isn’t the IRS
The FTC has issued a warning about fake IRS calls that are tricking consumers into paying money they supposedly owe but will only accept payment via prepaid card or wire transfer. Read More
Posted: July 31, 2014
Implementation of Automated Patient Privacy Monitoring
The privacy and security of health information is extremely important. Read More
Posted: July 16, 2014
The Internet of Things and Privacy
Most people access and share information by connecting to the internet via a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Read More
Posted: April 16, 2014
Tax Season is Here – File Early to Avoid Scams
Tax season is here and the race begins between individuals collecting all their tax related forms…..
Read More
Posted: January 24, 2014
Data Privacy Day 2014
Data Privacy Day (DPD) is held each year on January 28th to educate people on the importance of protecting their privacy.Read More
Posted: December 24, 2013
Ransomware - What is Your Personal Data Worth?
Imagine you are working on your computer and suddenly you see a message telling you that your personal files have been encrypted and will not be accessible to you unless you pay a fee. Read More
Posted: November 25, 2013
Public Wi-Fi Safety
Public Wi-Fi is very convenient for anyone looking to surf the web while on a lunch break or while at a coffee shop. Read More
Posted: November 6, 2013
Spear Phishing: Linked to APT Attacks
An APT an attempt to obtain sensitive information that uses a variety of techniques. Read More
Posted: August 26, 2013
Smartphones and Privacy
Currently more than half of all American adults use smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Read More
Posted: June 21, 2013
Tax Season Is Here – File Early To Protect Yourself
As faculty and staff start receiving their W2s and other tax related documents, it is time to start thinking about filing income tax returns - early. Read More
Posted: February 5, 2013
Data Privacy Day 2013
Data Privacy Day is an annual international event held each year on January 28th since 2008. Read More
Posted: January 28, 2013
U.S. Bank Accounts Threatened by Trojan Malware
Many U.S. bank customers may have experienced non-availability or dramatic slowdowns when attempting to access their online bank accounts recently. Read More
Posted: November 6, 2012
Protect Paper Records with Sensitive Information
Sensitive information on paper is the same as sensitive information on a computer. Both need to be protected from unauthorized access or disclosure and should be treated with caution and discretion. Read More
Posted: August 1, 2012
Spear Phishing: Human Error Remains the Weakest Link in Security
By now most of us are aware of fake emails that claim to come from your bank. Read More
Posted: May 3, 2012
Surfing the Internet on your Smartphone? - Be Wary of Security Threats
The first known drive-by attack to target mobile phones has been discovered. Read More
Posted: June 19, 2012
Tax Season Is Here, and So Are The Scams
As wage earners everywhere gather their W-2’s, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is combating several new attempts to defraud taxpayers. Read More
Posted: March 12, 2012
A Short History of Cell Phone Hacking
Phone hacking has been in the news lately, but just what happened and how I can protect myself? Read More
Posted: August 22, 2011
Child ID Theft Growing Rapidly
A recent report indicates children are increasingly at risk of identity theft — and such crimes can go unnoticed for years. Read More
Posted: July 1, 2011
Protect the Data on your Smartphone
As we increasingly rely on our phones as an extension of our computers, more personal and business information is stored and transferred on them. Read More
Posted: March 1, 2011
Epsilon Email Breach: What You Need to Know
In one of the largest security breaches, cyber thieves stole a list of email addresses from Epsilon. Read More
Posted: April 18, 2011
Securing your Home Wireless Network
The use of some type of high speed Internet connection at home such as DSL or cable modem is now almost as common as a phone line. Read More
Posted: October 5, 2010
Abusing your Systems Privileges Can Lead to Termination
University of Miami workforce should know their responsibilities when given system access. Read More
Posted: August 19, 2010
Printers: An Overlooked Security Risk
Your new printer/multifunction device is open security risks, so it’s important to follow some basic security procedures to minimize the risk. Read More
Posted: July 29, 2010
Warning: Your Computer May Not Be Infected
Malvertising takes advantage of your security knowledge. Online advertisements pose as antivirus software to make you believe your computer has been infected. Read More
Posted: April 30, 2010
Watch Out for Phony Census Takers
Consumers need to be wary of con artists who pretend to be Census takers but are really out to steal personal information or commit other frauds. Read More
Posted: April 6, 2010
Watch Out for Haiti Earthquake Relief Scams
In the wake of the natural disaster that occurred on 1/12/2010, cyber-crooks have rushed to create websites with Haiti earthquake-themed names. Read More
Posted: January 20, 2010
Information Security when Traveling Abroad
Travel is often essential when conducting and promoting University business and research, but there are precautions that should be taken. Read More
Posted: October 21, 2009
Everything I Need to Know About Stealing Your Identity, I Learned from Facebook and MySpace
It’s easy to be lured into joining social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and others. Read More
Posted: June 23, 2009
As Tax Season Approaches, Learn More about Tax Refund and Stimulus Payment Scams
Fraudulent emails are again promising tax refunds or stimulus payments. Read More
Posted: March 31, 2009
Top 10 Tips for Safe Online Shopping
An increasing number of people are choosing the convenience of online shopping over trudging off to the malls. Online shopping is the retail industry’s biggest growth engine, but with the increase in online shopping also comes greater exposure to fraud. Read More
Posted: December 11, 2009
Botnets: Is Someone Else Using Your Computer?
Ever wonder why your computer sometimes runs slowly? Maybe you’re not the only one using it. Read More
Posted: February 11, 2009
With Great Storage Comes Great Responsibility
Portable electronic storage devices are very popular because of their portability and low prices. Read More
Posted: January 12, 2009
Watch Out for Email Spam and Scams Targeting the Presidential Election
As the presidential election approaches, be aware of email spam used to install malicious software. Read More
Posted: October 10, 2008
Internet Scammers Using Fake Phone Numbers
Vishing combines social engineering and the phone system to gain access to a victim’s personal sensitive information. Read More
Posted: July 16, 2008
Transporting Medical Records
Occasionally, medical and other sensitive records must be transported from one location to another, such as when moving to a new office. Read More
Posted: April 8, 2008
Encryption: The Key to Privacy and Information Security
Encryption is a procedure that scrambles information in a way that is decipherable only to authorized individuals or computers. Read More
Posted: March 11, 2008
When Disposing of Electronic Devices, Don’t Forget to Delete any Sensitive Data!
Portable devices may store information you do not want anyone else to access. Read More
Posted: January 25, 2008
Understanding Medical Identity Theft
Medical identity theft occurs when a person uses someone else’s personal information to obtain or make false claims for medical services or goods. Read More
Posted: December 1, 2007
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is a crime where personally identifiable information is used without authorization to commit fraud or other crimes. Read More
Posted: October 17, 2007
Security Updates Not Only for “Critical” Applications
It is important to remember that any application installed on your computer can have vulnerabilities that could allow a security breach. Read More
Posted: July 27, 2007
Protecting Sensitive Data is Everyone’s Responsibility
Improper disclosures of sensitive data can cause immeasurable damage. Read More
Posted: September 13, 2007
Home Broadband: High Speed, but High Risk
High speed internet connections for home users, either by cable modem or DSL, are increasingly affordable and available. Read More
Posted: June 6, 2007
Exercise Caution when using Public Wireless Access Points
Unsuspecting users are giving computer hackers access to data on their wireless devices. Read More
Posted April 4, 2007
Lessons to be Learned from Recent Data Security Breaches
The VA department reported that a laptop containing the personal information of 26.5 million veterans was stolen from an employee’s home. Read More
Posted June 21, 2006
Do Not Abuse your Information System Privileges
University of Miami workforce members must be mindful of their responsibilities when given access to University information systems. Read More
Posted August 17, 2006
Beware of Social Engineering Attacks
“Social engineering” is a term used in information security to describe activities that attempt to con and deceive people. The aim is to get someone to willingly give privileged information by taking advantage of the user’s good will, trust and desire to be helpful. Read More
Posted March 9, 2006
Personal Data Assistant (PDA) Security Tips
The adoption of wireless, handheld devices is becoming widespread. Personal Digital Assistants such as Blackberry, smart phones, and removable storage devices enable mobile ad-hoc networking of the workforce and provide flexible enterprise data access. Read More
Posted October 20, 2005
Unique User Identification
The HIPAA Security Rule requires a “Unique User Identification” standard for systems holding electronic protected health information (EPHI). Read More
Posted August 18, 2005
What is Protected Health Information (PHI)?
PHI is individually identifiable health information which is created or received by a health care provider, health plan, or health care clearinghouse. Such information relates to the past, present or future physical health, mental health or condition of an individual. Read More
Posted June 20, 2005
Beware of Email Hoaxes
At any given moment, there are thousands of email hoaxes circulating on the Internet in the form of chain letters containing misleading information. Read More
Posted April 11, 2005
Treat Paper Records & Electronic Data Equally
Sensitive information on paper is the same as sensitive information on a computer. Both need to be protected from unauthorized access and should be treated with caution and discretion. Read More
Posted March 21, 2005
Safe Web Browsing
As the Web becomes more commonplace, web designers face increasing pressure to create web sites that are more visually appealing than their competitors. Read More
Posted February 28, 2005
Passwords ...revisitied
Passwords are the most vulnerable entry-point to our IT resources. Read More
Posted February 14, 2005
Instant Messaging or Instant Compromise?
Instant Messaging (IM) is a popular form of electronic communication that enables users to exchange text-based messages and files in real-time. Read More
Posted January 17, 2005
Email Safety
Electronic mail (email) is rapidly becoming the preferred method of business communication because it is fast, inexpensive, and relatively simple to use. Read More
Posted: February 1, 2005
The Perils of P2P File Sharing
Peer to Peer (P2P) file-sharing applications allows file sharing with other computers over the Internet. Some P2P applications include Limewire and Morpheus.. Read More
Posted January 3, 2005
Safeguard your Computer from Malware
“Malware” or malicious software is one of the greatest threats to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic protected health information (EPHI). Read More
Posted December 6, 2004
Secure your Laptop
The portability of a laptop gives you the convenience of being able to work almost anywhere. This convenience, however, comes with increased risks. Read More
Posted November 22, 2004
Beware of Spyware
Spyware is software used to collect, record and transmit your computer information to a third party, in order to track your online viewing and spending habits. Read More
Posted November 8, 2004
Beware of “Phishing”
Many of us have become targets of “phishing”, where scammers send emails pretending to be from banks, credit card companies, or online retailers. Read More
Posted October 25, 2004
Monitor All Visitor Activities
Many of us receive on-campus visits from individuals who are not members of the University of Miami workforce. While we may carefully monitor the activities of visitors who are strangers, we often let our guard down when visitors are already known to us. Read More
Posted October 11, 2004
Back Up Your Data
The availability of electronic data (files, records, etc) to authorized individuals is critical to the continued operation of every enterprise. Read More
Posted September 24, 2004
Securing your Desktop
Locking your computer is a simple way to prevent unauthorized access to your machine. Read More
Posted September 13, 2004
A Word on Passwords
Our systems require the use of passwords to access the various networks and applications across our campus. Read More
Posted August 31, 2004