Information Security

Mission Statement

The Information Security Office is committed to lowering the risk profile of the University’s electronic information by implementing industry best practices to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of student, faculty, and staff information. We uphold the University’s compliance obligations by developing information security policies, providing security awareness training, and overseeing the implementation of strategic information security initiatives.

Scam of the Week

Screen Share, Beware

You glance at your phone and are startled to see a text message warning you about suspicious activity involving your bank account. Luckily, the message includes a phone number you can call to confirm. The person who answers says they work for your bank and need to check a few things with you. Unusually, they ask you to switch the phone call to use Apple's FaceTime app instead. After you make the switch, they ask you to share your screen and log in to your bank account so they can review the suspicious activity with you.

But the person you’re speaking with is actually a cybercriminal! If you share your screen while using FaceTime, they can see everything on your screen while you log in to your bank account. This means they can easily see your login information, account numbers, and even any security codes that your bank might send you. With this information, the cybercriminal will have everything they need to steal your money!

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to this scam:

If you get a surprise call or text about your bank account, hang up. Call your bank directly using their official contact information. Don't use any number from the text message.
Never share your screen with someone who calls or texts you without warning, especially if they ask to see your bank account.
Be cautious if you receive unusual instructions, such as someone from your bank asking you to use the FaceTime app. Cybercriminals frequently try to trick you into revealing personal information this way.

Time It Takes a Hacker to Brute Force Your Password in 2025
Hardware: 12 x RTX 5090 | Password hash: bcrypt(10)

Number of Characters	Number Only	Lowercase Letters	Upper and Lower Case Letters	Numbers, Upper and Lowercase Letters	Numbers, Upper and Lowercase Letters, Symbols
4	Instantly	Instantly	Instantly	Instantly	Instantly
5	Instantly	Instantly	57 minutes	2 hours	4 hours
6	Instantly	46 minutes	2 days	6 Days	2 weeks
7	Instantly	20 hours	4 months	1 year	2 years
8	Instantly	3 weeks	15 years	62 years	164 years
9	2 hours	2 years	791 years	3k years	11k years
10	1 day	40 years	41k years	238k years	803k years
11	1 week	1k years	2m years	14m years	56m years
12	3 months	27k years	111m years	917m years	3bn years
13	3 years	705k years	5bn years	56bn years	275bn years
14	28 years	18m years	300bn years	3tn years	19tn years
15	284 years	477m years	15tn years	218tn years	1qd years
16	2k years	12bn years	812tn years	13qd years	94qd years
17	28k years	322bn years	42qd years	840qd years	6qn years
18	284k years	8tn years	2qn years	52qn years	463qn years