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Hello NEIU,

It's the time of the year to celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness!

We recognize the need for cybersecurity every day to keep our information and our world safe. This is a collective responsibility that takes simple steps and a commitment to maintain good security practices every time and everywhere.

This October, the University is participating in National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Our theme this year is Secure Our World - Doing It Together. We will share best practices and tips to help us stay safe and ahead of cyber criminals. Our goal is to be equipped with the resources to do our part in securing our world.

Enjoy!

Intro

Every day, countless people and organizations experience cyber attacks in one way or another - business email compromise (BEC), ransomware and denial of service attacks, fraud, impersonation and identity theft, etc. New attack tactics are invented to make phishing emails, fake websites, software, texts, phone calls, or video images look legitimate, and with the use of artificial intelligence, it sometimes takes only a few minutes to launch a cyber attack that could shut down an organization within a couple of hours or less. Individuals continue to see increased impersonation attacks through deepfakes and sometimes fall victim to identity theft, fraud, or disinformation.

This year's theme reminds us of simple and practical ways to protect ourselves, our families, and our world from cyber threats and focuses on four key ways to do so, on or offline. Each week will feature a topic, live presentations (virtual and in-person), movie clips, training videos, posters, and online games.

• Week 1: General Cybersecurity
• Week 2: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Threats
• Week 3: Ransomware - Coming soon
• Week 4: Incident Reporting - Coming soon 

Events

****Participants will have the opportunity to win Amazon gift cards.****

Virtual sessions

National Cybersecurity Alliance Presentation and Game Sessions

• “Whole Lotta BS (Behavioral Science) About Cybersecurity” group session.
  • Tuesday, October 14th, 4 p.m. CT (Zoom). .
• CAM Group Gameshow Dates/Times. Signup is required.
  • Friday, October 17th, Noon CT (Teams). .
  • Thursday, October 23rd, 10:30 a.m. CT (Zoom). .
  • Friday, October 31st, 1 p.m. CT (Zoom). .

Virtual and in-person sessions hosted by the Computer Science Department.

• MongoDB Presentation (virtual). Thursday, October 2nd, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. CT. .
• MongoDB Security (virtual). Thursday, October 9th, 3:00 - 4:00 pm CT. .
• Bug Bounty: Turning Curiosity to Impact (virtual). Thursday, October 23rd, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. CT.
• Women in Cybersecurity Panel discussion. Tuesday, Oct. 28th from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. in Room CBT 149. Contact  Prof. Yi Yang.
• NETT DAY - "The Power of Technology in Business." October 30th, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 pm. Alumni Hall, NEIU Main Campus. .

The Computer Science Department has provided additional resources for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. To learn more, please visit the

Cybersecurity career paths: 

Check out NEIU degree programs and certifications in cybersecurity 

Thanks, and have a cyber-safe October!

Week One - General Cybersecurity

"When we recognize the cyber threats we face daily, there is no excuse to lower our guard." - University Technology Services

Focus 

Common cyber threats and general security practices to combat them.

We see ransomware attacks on big companies make the headlines but the reality is, most of these incidents depend on and exploit the human element in the cybersecurity kill chain to succeed. [Splunk]

Social engineering is one of the most common ways cyber criminals gain access to user accounts, computers and networks to cause havoc and destruction. They rely on convincing their targets to click a link or share their passwords and use different tactics to do so. 

That’s why we want to use the first full week in October to share some resources on general cybersecurity practices. Get ready to refresh your knowledge and be prepared to face the world of cyber challenges. The resources for this week include:

• (8 minutes). Check it out to learn:

  • The damage caused by social engineering.

  • Common attack methods.

  • Tactics scammers use to gain access to systems and devices.

• Training video (2 minutes).

Tips:

Here are five key concepts of the human firewalls' manifesto:

• Identify threats: Be aware, be cautious.

• Use common sense: Keep it simple, think before you act.

• Follow policy: Know what is required and comply.

• Maintain physical security: Only authorized personnel allowed.

• Report incidents: Alerting promptly keeps us safer.

To learn more about these tips, click the image below:

Events: Remember to sign up for the events planned for this week. 

_{***There will be opportunities to win Amazon gift cards.***}

Week Two - Artificial Intelligence (AI) Threats

"The benefits of AI drive the need for its adoption, while the risks it presents demand its responsible use." - University Technology Services

Focus

Artificial Intelligence threats, how do I stay safe?

The need for AI has become part our daily routines, whether we use it at work or at home. AI has come to stay, which demands that we are aware of its threats and are equipped with the knowledge and tools to combat these threats while maximizing its benefits.

Hackers and scammers are using the power of AI to create new attack tactics and making phishing emails even more convincing. Below are some ways that hackers are using AI to perpetuate their attacks:

• Using AI tools to carry out reconnaissance on people or organizations to create personalized phishing emails, messages, or chatbots.

• Deepfakes: Impersonating people using deepfake videos and audios, leading to identity theft, misinformation, disinformation, or fraud.

• Password cracking: Using machine learning to identify password patterns and to predict likely password combinations.

• System compromise and data breaches: Using AI to easily identify and exploit vulnerable systems to exfiltrate or encrypt data.

• Automating attacks: Using AI to automate and scale attacks easily and quickly.

• Evading detection: Using AI to bypass traditional anti-malware software that are not trained to identify malware created with AI, or optimizing attacks in real time. 

This week, we are providing resources to help us level up our game to easily identify AI threats and keep the bad actors at bay. The training resources can be found under the Library Tab after you log in.

• (4 minutes).

• (10 minutes).

Tips:

AI, Security, and You

• Remain skeptical and thorough: Always be cautious.

• Follow the signs: Fear, threat, urgency, or appealing, to make you act.

• Use zero trust: Never assume it is safe, verify until you are certain.

• Follow policies: Know what is required and comply.

• Use common sense: Keep it simple, think before you act.

• Report incidents: Alerting promptly keeps us safer.

To learn more about these tips, click the image below:

Events: Remember to sign up for the events planned for this week.

_{***There will be opportunities to win Amazon gift cards.***}