The Hidden Dangers of Web Browser Extensions: What You Need to Know

icon of a web browser with an icon of a puzzleWeb browser extensions have become indispensable tools for enhancing productivity, simplifying tasks, and customizing our online experience. From ad blockers and grammar checkers to password managers and note-taking apps, these small software add-ons offer immense utility. However, as beneficial as they are, web browser extensions also pose significant safety and security risks, which university staff, faculty, and students should be aware of. Continue reading The Hidden Dangers of Web Browser Extensions: What You Need to Know

Winter 2024 Security Report Now Available

Security Awareness ribbonFrom opening a presidential library to building a supercomputer, the last 10 years, in particular, have dramatically changed the face of SMU. This latest edition of the OIT Quarterly Security Updates focuses on the evolution of cybersecurity over the last decade, from the improvements the campus has made for physical security to SMU’s cybersecurity and how OIT has adapted. Hopefully, this retrospective will help to shed light on the challenges we face as a community so that we can work together even more effectively in the next 10 years.

We couldn’t have done all of this without your help because Security Starts With You!

Security Reports shown as a magazine layout

To access the report, click the button below or go to
https://smu.box.com/v/OIT-Security-Report-2024-01

New Security Awareness Training Coming to Campus

Cybersecurity Wellness ProgramJust in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, SMU is changing how we do cybersecurity awareness training. Last year, we launched a unique program focused on cybersecurity habits. Participants opting-in learned how to master cybersecurity habits and built a custom-tailored plan to make security feel easy. The responses from individuals completing the course were overwhelmingly positive.

Based on the award-winning book Well Aware: Master the Nine Cybersecurity Habits to Protect Your Future, the Cybersecurity Wellness Program focuses on Continue reading New Security Awareness Training Coming to Campus

Fall 2023 Security Report Now Available

Alice in Cyberland badgeIn Lewis Caroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, during the Red Queen’s race, the Red Queen famously states to Alice, “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!

Our latest OIT Quarterly Security Update edition is now available to the SMU community and is dedicated to Alice in Wonderland because cybersecurity works exactly the same way: we need to Continue reading Fall 2023 Security Report Now Available

Summer 2023 OIT Security Update Now Available

Fire Safety BadgeProtecting the safety of the members of our campus community is the most important thing we do. For this issue, we’ve dedicated our quarterly security update to focus entirely on how to help protect yourself and your family from a fire—whether on campus or off. We always want you to be prepared for an emergency, so we cover why batteries catch fire, the top causes of fires in the home, and how to prevent them in the first place, plus essential fire safety tips for your home. Continue reading Summer 2023 OIT Security Update Now Available