6 July 2023
An intensified, risk-based cooperation is needed
The number of cyber incidents in education and research remains high, making increased collaboration and risk-based working essential to improve resilience. This is according to the Cyber Threat Assessment 2023.
The threat landscape has changed little in recent years. DDoS attacks, phishing emails and ransomware remain the main threats. Institutions are getting better at detecting incidents, but still need to contact SURFcert, SURF's CERT, more often to share information and alert other institutions.
The professionalism of malicious actors is developing faster than the resilience of institutions. Staff awareness is crucial for cyber security.
Here are 5 tips for staff to contribute to cyber security:
- Be alert to suspicious emails, links and attachments. Don't just click on unknown or suspicious sources and report suspicious activity to the IT department.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication and strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. Avoid reusing passwords and use a password manager.
- Keep your software and devices up to date with the latest security patches. Install regular updates on your personal devices and keep automatic updates turned on.
- We work more and more in the cloud and luckily backups are made automatically. For files that are not in the cloud (such as photos and data on your personal device), it is still wise to back them up in some way.
- Be careful with personal information on social media and limit access to your profiles. Adjust your privacy settings and don't share sensitive information with strangers.
Together we can keep the VU safe.