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!
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
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. Learn good cybersecurity tips at secureit.msu.edu.
Upcoming Cybersecurity Events
- Visit MSU IT pop-up events across campus for a Cyber Goose shirt and other swag!
Oct. 2, 3-4:30 pm: International CenterOct. 9, 3-4:30 pm: Union- Oct. 28, 3-4:30 pm: 1855 Place
- BTAA virtual events
- Visit go.msu.edu/btaa25 to register for any of the following events in the BTAA October Cybersecurity Awareness Series:
Oct. 1, 1:30 pm: Join the Cybersecurity GameshowOct. 9, 2 pm: BTAA CISO Panel: Securing the Mission: Building Awareness and Resilience in Higher EdOct. 22, 2 pm: Scary Cyber Tales: Don’t Let Your Data Go Bump in the Night- Oct. 29, noon: Rachel Tobac: Exploiting Trust – The Human Element of Security
Cybersecurity Tips
Cyber scams and phishing
Scammers use emails, texts, and calls to try to steal your personal info. Follow these tips to avoid their tricks:
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- Beware of any request for your personal information, like your social security number, passwords, bank or credit card details, or multifactor security codes.
- Be suspicious of unexpected offers for employment, student loans or grants, and awards winning.
- 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!).
Recognizing social engineering attacks
Social engineering is one of the most insidious threats in cybersecurity because it targets the human element rather than technical vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals use manipulation, deception, and psychological tactics to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, clicking malicious links, or granting unauthorized access to systems. These attacks often exploit emotions like fear, urgency, or curiosity, making even the most tech-savvy users vulnerable.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Stronger authentication methods, like multi-factor authentication, are needed to protect systems that store sensitive and restricted information. Like many organizations, MSU uses Okta Verify as its MFA solution to safeguard personal and institutional data within our community by pairing something an individual has (e.g., a randomized security code) with something they know (e.g., a password). An MFA credential is a method by which you receive your randomized security code.
Creating strong passwords or passphrases
A strong password or passphrase is more than just a login credential—it’s your first line of defense against cyber threats. We encourage the use of long, unique passphrases that are hard to guess and never reused across accounts. Think of a memorable phrase like “FlyingGooseSafely99!” and enhance it with numbers and special characters for added strength.
Weak passwords are like leaving your front door unlocked; they make it easy for cybercriminals to access sensitive data, impersonate users, or compromise university systems. That’s why MSU IT recommends enabling multi-factor authentication and using password managers to securely store and generate strong credentials.
By adopting these simple habits, Spartans can help protect both personal and institutional data—and keep our digital community safe. Learn more about phishing and the best ways to secure State at secureit.msu.edu.
