Cyber Security Awareness Month Don't Let One Click Sink Your Semester

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

Small Fee, Big Catch

You’re scrolling through your emails, and suddenly you read one that says your package couldn't be delivered because a small customs fee wasn’t paid. The email says you need to pay the fee through a link in the email right away so the package can be delivered. The fee is just a few dollars, so you may be tempted to pay it to get your package.

But this email is actually a phishing scam! If you select the link in the email, you’ll be taken to a website, which will prompt you to enter your name, contact information, credit card details, and other banking information. If you enter your information, cybercriminals can use it to make fraudulent purchases or even sell it to other scammers!

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

If you’re expecting a package and haven’t received it, go directly to the package delivery service’s official app or website and use your tracking number.
Be wary if a message asks for your credit card number to cover a small delivery fee. Legitimate customs charges don't require that much financial information.
Always stop and think before you act! If an email asks for an unexpected payment, that’s a red flag.

Time It Takes a Hacker to Brute Force Your Password in 2026
Hardware: 16 x RTX 5090 | Password Hash: bcrypt(10)

Number of Characters	Numbers 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	46 minutes	2 hours	3 hours
6	Instantly	37 minutes	2 days	5 Days	1 week
7	Instantly	16 hours	3 months	10 Months	2 years
8	Instantly	2 weeks	12 years	50 years	132 years
9	2 hours	1 year	636 years	3k years	9k years
10	20 hours	32 years	33k years	191k years	645k years
11	1 week	839 years	1m years	11m years	45m years
12	3 months	21k years	89m years	737m years	3bn years
13	2 years	567k years	4bn years	45bn years	221bn years
14	23 years	14m years	241bn years	2tn years	15tn years
15	229 years	383m years	12tn years	175tn years	1qd years
16	2k years	9bn years	653tn years	10qd years	75qd years
17	22k years	259bn years	33qd years	675qd years	5qn years
18	228k years	6tn years	1qn years	41qn years	372qn years