This month, University Technology’s ([U]Tech) Information Security Office will recognize Data Privacy Month by sharing information to help Case Western Reserve University community members keep their information private and secure.
This week’s tips are focused on knowing when an account or device has been hacked. Anyone can be hacked, regardless of how careful they are. According to the SANS Institute, the following are six signs of a hack:
- Anti-virus software triggers an alert.
- A pop-up message states that the computer is infected and the user must pay a ransom or call a phone number to fix the problem.
- Friends and coworkers are receiving odd messages from an account that were never sent.
- A password no longer works for an account, but it is being entered correctly.
- Suspicious or unauthorized software might have been accidentally installed.
- A browser is going to random websites that won’t close.
If any of these occur, do not try to fix the problem. Instead, stop and report the problem immediately to the [U]Tech Service Desk (help@case.edu, 216.368.4357 or the [U]Tech website) or the Information Security Office. The sooner you report an incident, the faster you can get a response and help.
Visit the [U]Tech Information Security Office website for more security tips.