Security Awareness – Page 2

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is Here — Don’t Get Tricked 🎃

Witches hat It’s October, and that means Cybersecurity Awareness Month is here! This year, OIT Security is turning up the fun with spooky challenges, games, and puzzles. Instead of just reading about security, you’ll get to play along — solving weekly Wordles, escaping a Haunted AI, locking down your privacy, spotting scams in disguise, and wrapping it all up at our in-person Cyber Fair.

Every activity you complete earns points, and the more points you collect, the bigger the prize you can win. Prizes are unlocked in three tiers: Continue reading Cybersecurity Awareness Month is Here — Don’t Get Tricked 🎃

Don’t Get Hooked: Phishing Simulations Coming Soon

This October, SMU is rolling out a series of initiatives as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month to help students, faculty, and staff stay safe online — both on campus and at home.

As part of these efforts, the Information Security team will launch phishing simulations designed to help our community recognize and avoid email-based scams. These simulations aren’t about “catching” anyone — they’re a chance to practice spotting red flags and build habits that protect you and our university. Continue reading Don’t Get Hooked: Phishing Simulations Coming Soon

Microsoft SharePoint Vulnerability: We’re OK!

In July 2025, a major security vulnerability—identified as CVE-2025-53770—was uncovered in on-premises versions of Microsoft SharePoint Server. This isn’t just another small bug fix. The flaw is so serious that attackers are actively exploiting it around the world, gaining unauthorized access to organizational data and systems, even bypassing identity protections like Multi-Factor Authentication and Single Sign-On.

How Serious Is It?

Continue reading Microsoft SharePoint Vulnerability: We’re OK!

Corrina Taylor Joins SMU as Chief Information Security Officer

The Office of Information Technology is pleased to announce the appointment of Corrina Taylor as the new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Corrina joined SMU in late May, bringing with her nearly a decade of cybersecurity experience rooted in strategic leadership and technical expertise.

Her journey into cybersecurity began Continue reading Corrina Taylor Joins SMU as Chief Information Security Officer

What you should know about the 16 billion passwords data breach

a red anglerfish with a key instead of a light with a no symbol across it Researchers from Cybernews released a statement this week, reporting that over 16 billion passwords have been exposed in a massive data breach. The leaked data could potentially impact accounts from major platforms such as Facebook, Google, Apple, and more. Cybernews claims this data appears to be new, supported by evidence provided in their post. However, other sources suggest that the passwords may be compiled from previous breaches.

The stolen data seems to come from Continue reading What you should know about the 16 billion passwords data breach