Securing all the GW things!
The National Cybersecurity Alliance partnered with Consumer Reports to bring you a new animated video [opens YouTube link] about how you can take control of your data! Check out "The Tale of Privacy Peyton" below, and download Consumer Reports' Permission Slip.
Content from National Cybersecurity Alliance. (2023, November 22). Take control of your data.
Your online activity creates a treasure trove of data. This data ranges from your interests and purchases to your online behaviors, and it is collected by websites, apps, devices, services, and companies all around the globe. This data can even include information about your physical self, like health data – think about how an app on your phone might count how many steps you take.
You cannot control how each little piece of data about you and your family is collected. However, you still have a right to data privacy. You can help manage your data with a few repeatable behaviors. Your data is valuable and you deserve to have a say!
Here are some simple, easy tips you that will help you manage your data privacy:
Nowadays, when you download a new app, open a new online account, or join a new social media platform, you will often be asked for access to your personal information before you can even use it! This data might include your geographic location, contacts, and photos.
For these businesses, this personal information about you is tremendously value — and you should think about if the service you get in return is worth the data you must hand over, even if the service is free.
Make informed decisions about sharing your data with businesses or services:
For every app, account, or device, check the privacy and security settings. These should be easy to find in a Settings section and should take a few moments to change. Set them to your comfort level for personal information sharing; generally, we think it’s wise to lean on the side of sharing less data, not more.
You don’t have to do this for every account at once, start small and over time you’ll make a habit of adjusting all your settings to your comfort. We have in-depth, free resources like our Manage Your Privacy Settings page that lets you check the settings of social media accounts, retail stores, apps and more.
Data privacy and data security go hand-in-hand. Along with managing your data privacy settings, follow some simple cybersecurity tips to keep it safe. We recommend following the Core 4:
Content in this post includes recommendations and suggestions for password creation and management as well as information on training materials available to the GW community. This resource guide is presented as part of the Cybersecurity is a Shared Responsibility awareness campaign. The GW IT Security team provides these posts to support increased awareness and knowledge across all stakeholder groups. The principle the posts follow is that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility for all users. Suggestions on content, areas of focus, or to arrange team training should be directed to infoec@gwu.edu.
Persistent cyber-attacks target personal, organizational, and system accounts. The resources and training modules below are designed for various technical knowledge levels. Some resources including some training modules may require access to restricted content. Access restrictions for any sites requiring access will be noted. External links to sites not controlled by GW will also be noted with an external link notation. Details on organizations providing the external materials are listed at the bottom of this article in the event you are not familiar with the acronym or function.
Increased understanding of the need for strong and complex passwords as well as emerging security technologies is critical to ensuring your data and access to your systems and services are secure.
Password managers are applications used to store passwords. Generally, provide a convenient place to store all of your passwords, requiring you only remember the password manager master password. These solutions can be installed on devices, access through cloud services, and/or integrated into web browsers. They provide convenience of only remembering one password to access a tool that contains all of your unique passwords.
The Best Password Managers for 2023 | PCMag – External Content Hosted by PCMag
The following modules are available to faculty and staff through GW’s Talent@GW system. Search for training titles in the Learning -> Browse for Training menu after logging into Talent@GW. Managers can assign training to staff through the Talent@GW system as well.
Creating Strong Passwords - Security Awareness Training
Privileged User Security Series: Privileged Access (8 minutes)
Privileged User Security Series: Secure Windows Administration (15 minutes)
Privileged User Security Series: Secure Linux Administration (15 minutes)
Privileged User Security Series: Secure Database Administration (15 minutes)
Securing Windows Server 2016: Managing Privileged Identities (1 hour 7 minutes)
Securing Windows Server 2016: Server Hardening Solutions
Securing Windows Server 2019
Password Guidance and Reference Materials Sources and Organizations
CISA https://www.cisa.gov/ - CISA is the operational lead for federal cybersecurity and the national coordinator for critical infrastructure security and resilience. We are designed for collaboration and partnership. Learn about our layered mission to reduce risk to the nation’s cyber and physical infrastructure.
ISACA https://www.isaca.org/about-us - As a globally recognized leader in IS/IT for over 50 years, ISACA is a professional membership organization committed to the advancement of digital trust by empowering IS/IT professionals to grow their skills and knowledge in audit, cybersecurity emerging tech and more.
SANS https://sans.org launched in 1989 as a cooperative for information security thought leadership, it is SANS’ ongoing mission to empower cyber security professionals with the practical skills and knowledge they need to make our world a safer place.
Additonal Resources
National Cybersecurity Alliance https://staysafeonline.org/ - Provides ongoing cybersecurity information and tips. They provide coordination and content as part of the annual Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign. Personal online safety information is available: https://staysafeonline.org/resources/online-safety-privacy-basics/
Federal Trade Commission https;//ftc.gov - FTC also has consumer focused awareness info for Identity Theft and Online Security (https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security) as well as Scams https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams).
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