October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and MSU IT is putting Spartans’ cybersecurity knowledge to the test! Join us each week in October as we launch a new episode of MSU IT Street Trivia where Spartans play to win prizes from the MSU Tech Store!
Watch
Win
- Follow us on Instagram and like MSU IT Street Trivia content for a chance to win an iPad Mini*! All #StreetTrivia likes will be entered into a drawing at the end of October.
Protecting yourself and the MSU community online is all about increasing your knowledge so that you can decrease cybersecurity risk. You might not think your data is worth protecting, but your MSU credentials can be used as a gateway to important institutional data. The more aware you are, the more secure you will be.
Cyber scams and phishing
As technology progresses, so does cybercriminals’ creativity. While their attempts can be tough to spot, they’re not impossible. Bad actors tend to use times or themes of uncertainty, as we’ve seen with global events, like the crisis in Ukraine or the coronavirus pandemic, or more locally, student loan reimbursements surrounding the beginning of a new semester.
Understanding standard cybersecurity practices is the best way to #SecureState and safeguard against potential cyber threats. Even if you don’t think you have sensitive information to steal, cyber attackers could use your accounts or devices as an open door to MSU.
Scammers use emails, texts, and calls to try to steal your personal info. Follow these tips to avoid their tricks:
- 🚩 Beware of any request for your personal information, like your social security number, passwords, bank or credit card details, or multifactor security codes
- 🚩 Unexpected offers for employment, student loans or grants, and awards winnings
- 🚩 Watch out for messages with a sense of urgency, poor grammar and spelling, and strange email addresses or phone numbers
- 🚩 Forward any suspicious email to your MSU account to abuse@msu.edu (don’t click the links!)
Get help
- If you suspect any of your accounts have been compromised, immediately change your password and contact MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200
- If you’re not sure if it’s spam, consider calling the source directly using the phone number from their website to verify the info (never click the links or call numbers in a suspicious email)
- If you have questions or concerns about your financial aid, contact the MSU Office of Financial Aid directly at (517) 353-5940
Learn more about phishing and the best ways to #SecureState at secureit.msu.edu.
*Only enrolled MSU students are eligible for iPad Mini drawings
