Loyola Information Security Blog

Folks, We are excited to announce the August issue of OUCH! This month, led by Guest Editor Heather Mahalik, we focus on backups. Specifically, what backups are, how they work and how to create the best backup strategy for you.  Unfortunately, too many people fail to realize how important backups can be.  Just last week, […]

Beware of a phishing attempt going around which contains a malicious email attachment. The email will have a similar format to: From: fax@luc.edu <fax@luc.edu> Subject: FW: Fax-46787543675.doc <Fax-46787543675.doc> is attached.   If the phishing attachment was opened or clicked, please call the ITS Help Desk for assistance at (773) 508 – 4487.  Also, if you receive a suspicious email […]

Beware of a new phishing scam circulating campus.  The email will be similar to the following, and contains a Google Drive link to a malicious executable. From: “info@slicedcreative.co.uk” <info@slicedcreative.co.uk> Date: October 2, 2015 at 12:32:31 PM CDT To: <UVID@luc.edu> Subject: Swift payment copy. Reply-To: <gjdariye@excite.com> If the phishing attachment was opened or clicked, please call […]

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), conducted every October since 2004, this national public awareness campaign is intended to encourage everyone to protect their computers and our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure. Cyber security requires vigilance 365 days per year. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), and […]

Beware of a new phishing scam circulating campus. The email will be similar to the following, and contains a OneDrive link to a malicious executable. From: “MICROSOFT SECURITY” <g.contento@masteronline.biz> To: <UVID@luc.edu> Subject: SUSPICIOUS ACCOUNT ACTIVITY!!! Reply-To: <g.contento@masteronline.biz> If the phishing attachment was opened or clicked, please call the ITS Help Desk for assistance at (773) […]

As we get closer to the tax filing deadline, many of us have received or are anticipating a refund (at least we hope so). Spammers, looking to make a quick buck, sometimes hundreds of dollars, use this opportune time to send messages aimed at getting one’s personal information and thus access the one’s bank account. […]

What is going on?! ———————————————————- On April 7, 2014 a simple coding flaw was discovered in OpenSSL. OpenSSL is an encryption library used, predominantly by Linux and Unix-based systems, to secure data as it traverses the Internet (keeps your data from getting in the hands of others). The coding flaw (CVE-2014-0160) was introduced into OpenSSL […]

eBay has become aware of a security breach that compromised a database that included encrypted passwords. eBay officials note that no financial data was implicated. In addition to passwords, the database contained basic information like name, email, phone number, address, and date of birth, but eBay officials stressed that no confidential or personal information was […]

It has been reported that P.F. Chang’s China Bistro is investigating a possible data breach involving credit card data reportedly stolen from locations nationwide. On June 9, thousands of stolen credit cards went up for sale at an underground store known for selling credit cards associated with the Target breach earlier this year. Banks have […]

What is spam? Spam is the electronic version of “junk mail.” The term spam refers to unsolicited, often unwanted, email messages. Spam does not necessarily contain viruses—valid messages from legitimate sources could fall into this category. How can you reduce the amount of spam? There are some steps you can take to significantly reduce the […]