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

A File From a “Friend”

You receive a message on WhatsApp, a popular app for sending instant messages. It’s from someone you know, such as a colleague, a friend, or even a family member. They've sent over an attachment that appears to be a business document, like a billing statement, payment record, or an account notice. It's unusual for them to send you something like this, but since it's from someone you trust, you might think it’s safe to open it.

Even though the message you received came from someone in your contacts list, it’s actually a phishing scam! Your contact may not even be aware that it was sent. If cybercriminals are able to gain control of someone else’s WhatsApp account, they can use it to send you messages, like this one. If you open the file, malware will be installed that gives cybercriminals full remote access to your device. They can view your screen and control your computer as if they were sitting right in front of it!

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to this phishing scam:

Be cautious of any unexpected files sent via WhatsApp or other messaging apps, even if they appear to come from someone you know. If a contact sends you a file out of the blue, reach out to them through a separate channel, such as a phone call or another app, to verify it.
Remember that files can be disguised to look like ordinary documents. If you receive something that feels out of place for the person who sent it, like a billing statement from a personal contact, trust your instincts and don't open it.
Always stop and think before you act! Cybercriminals can sometimes gain access to the accounts of trusted contacts and make phishing attacks seem more believable.

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