Monmouth’s Cyber Threat and Future Prevention
On December 14, Ransomware was discovered on Monmouth College’s system. In an email from President Wyatt, “The College continues to take steps to improve its IT infrastructure and we are committed to strengthening our systems’ security to prevent a similar event from occurring again in the future.”
Below are the basic steps to protect your computer against viruses, spyware, and other internet security threats.
Install and use up-to-date anti-virus software. (Be sure to uninstall any old or outdated anti-virus software before installing new anti-virus software.)
Keep your Windows operating system up-to-date.
Use a personal firewall.
Use multi-factor authentication (2FA) to add another layer of security
A few phishing emails have been around in the last few months, some students have fallen victim to them and had their emails hacked into. If you see these phishing emails, please report them to phish.no.more@monmouthcollege.edu and visit IT services in the lower level of Hewes Library if help is required.
There are a few other ways to protect yourself.
Never open unknown or unexpected email attachments.
Don’t click on or open an unfamiliar link or file in an instant message.
Don’t click on buttons or links in pop-up windows.
Visit only reputable, known websites.
Educate yourself about a program before downloading it.
Don’t run your computer as Administrator.
Turn off file and print sharing.
Ali Vorhies - Features Editor