Information Security

Mission Statement

The Information Security Office is committed to lowering the risk profile of the University’s electronic information by implementing industry best practices to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of student, faculty, and staff information. We uphold the University’s compliance obligations by developing information security policies, providing security awareness training, and overseeing the implementation of strategic information security initiatives.

Scam of the Week

Worth Its Weight in Scams

Imagine your computer screen suddenly locks up with a pop-up message. The alert warns you that cybercriminals have attacked your device and instructs you to call a number right away to connect with law enforcement and resolve the issue. You connect with a helpful official who tells you to grant them remote access so they can fix your computer and catch the hackers. But this supposed official is actually a scammer!

Once you let them into your computer, they quietly capture your financial information. The criminals will then claim that your money is no longer safe in your accounts. They will advise you to withdraw it all and buy physical gold bars instead. They will even send a courier to your house to pick up the gold and take it somewhere for "safekeeping.” But in reality, that courier is just another scammer, and your savings are gone for good!

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to this scam:

Real security software never says your computer is infected and demands you call a number to fix it. Always stop and think before you act.
Never give remote access to your computer to someone who contacts you unexpectedly, even if they claim to be an official or a law enforcement agent.
No real law enforcement official will ever tell you to withdraw your savings and turn them into gold, cash, or gift cards. If you have questions about your money, call your bank directly or check its official app or website.

Time It Takes a Hacker to Brute Force Your Password in 2025
Hardware: 12 x RTX 5090 | Password hash: bcrypt(10)

Number of Characters	Number Only	Lowercase Letters	Upper and Lower Case Letters	Numbers, Upper and Lowercase Letters	Numbers, Upper and Lowercase Letters, Symbols
4	Instantly	Instantly	Instantly	Instantly	Instantly
5	Instantly	Instantly	57 minutes	2 hours	4 hours
6	Instantly	46 minutes	2 days	6 Days	2 weeks
7	Instantly	20 hours	4 months	1 year	2 years
8	Instantly	3 weeks	15 years	62 years	164 years
9	2 hours	2 years	791 years	3k years	11k years
10	1 day	40 years	41k years	238k years	803k years
11	1 week	1k years	2m years	14m years	56m years
12	3 months	27k years	111m years	917m years	3bn years
13	3 years	705k years	5bn years	56bn years	275bn years
14	28 years	18m years	300bn years	3tn years	19tn years
15	284 years	477m years	15tn years	218tn years	1qd years
16	2k years	12bn years	812tn years	13qd years	94qd years
17	28k years	322bn years	42qd years	840qd years	6qn years
18	284k years	8tn years	2qn years	52qn years	463qn years