A recent tactic for Phishers and Spammers is to trick users to allow notifications on websites. They will use these notifications to spam you with ads and fake virus messages. The intent is for users to click these messages then install their software or allow someone to remote into your… Continue reading »
OIT encourages all clients make sure the computer they are using for Williams related work, both OIT issued and personal, are running up to date operating systems. Click the appropriate section below for direction on how to check for updates on your device. We do recommend having a recent backup… Continue reading »
Mobile Device Security and Usage Guidelines Mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) must be appropriately secured to protect yourself, to prevent them from being compromised, to reduce the risk of malware, and to protect Williams. Everyone should adhere to these general best practices when using mobile devices. Additional measures may… Continue reading »
How to keep your data safe when your accounts at major sites are compromised. Yahoo!, Dropbox, MySpace, Pandora, LinkedIn…these are just a few of the sites which have had data breaches. How do you keep your own data safe? To start it is important to have strong and unique passwords!… Continue reading »
With an increasing amount of sensitive data being stored on personal devices, the value and mobility of smartphones, tablets, and laptops make them appealing and easy targets. These simple tips will help you be prepared in case your laptop is stolen or your smartphone is missing. Don’t leave your device… Continue reading »
Contacted out of the blue? Sound too good to be true? Pause and think about it. Online financial scams are the same scams that have been in place for years just made easier through the use of email and social media. Our scam awareness document helps you recognize and avoid… Continue reading »
Hackers want your password and it can be exposed through a number of methods like phishing, a compromised computer or through a data breach at another service like LinkedIn. Did you know we have a system in place that will prevent bad actors from accessing your Williams account even if… Continue reading »
Data Classification Policy and Usage Guidelines Whether you study, teach or work at the College, you possess information that should be protected from exposure. Personal information has a lot in common with money – it has value, whether it’s your SSN, bank account number, or account usernames & passwords. These… Continue reading »
Services that use your Williams Network Account Username & Password Some logins use your email address (e.g. [email protected], xsmith@williams) while some just use the username (xyz5 or xsmith) These services all utilize your normal email password Email or Google login: [email protected] Eduroam wireless network: [email protected] Your PC computer: username Printing… Continue reading »
If you did reply with a username and password to a phishing email, or you logged in to a fake Williams web page your account information is available to the scammer. Do these things as quickly as possible (preferably from a different computer): CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD! Go to Okta login,… Continue reading »
Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals send an email that appears to be from a legitimate company or person and asks you to provide sensitive information (passwords, account numbers, etc) or direct you to fake websites. A few clues can help you spot fraudulent email messages or… Continue reading »
The following is a list of domain names of online providers used by Williams to provide various services to the campus community. You may be asked to follow links to these providers’ web sites for certain types of transactions and it should be safe to do so. The best way… Continue reading »
All computers supplied to Williams College employees will be encrypted by OIT when they are set up, with few exceptions. Encryption ensures that stolen or lost laptops can not be accessed for data theft. Windows laptops prior to 2015 used TrueCrypt. Newer Windows laptops use the built in Microsoft Bitlocker. Continue reading »
How to Encrypt Files for Secure Email Transmission or Storage Why Encrypt? Massachusetts Law requires that legally-protected personal financial information be encrypted if sent over public networks, such as the internet. You may also need to protect information your office considers confidential, regardless of any legal requirement. This document describes… Continue reading »
Williams is now using CrowdStrike Falcon to protect its servers and endpoints. CrowdStrike Falcon is an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) app. Unlike traditional Anti-virus that relies heavily on scanning files against a list of know threats. EDR is an integrated, layered approach to endpoint protection that combines real-time continuous… Continue reading »
Downloading something cool? Are you sure it’s not Spyware? What is Spyware? The term spyware covers a wide range of situations from the benign (browser cookies) to the malicious – applications which are indistinguishable from viruses. In fact the worst spyware applications are like viruses designed to make money, which… Continue reading »
Williams VPN Running the VPN client allows you to establish a secure connection to the college network. Your computer acts as though it were here on campus. Among other things this allows a keyserver connection to run Williams licensed software from off-campus. The VPN connection is limited to Faculty, Staff… Continue reading »
Get Protected If you would like to schedule an Identity Finder scan to remove sensitive information from your computer, email [email protected]. Otherwise we will contact you to work out a time for the scan. Protect your information by password protecting files & folders… Continue reading »
Note: The Winter 2010 Information Security Workshop Slides (PowerPoint) are available for download. In 2007, Massachusetts enacted a law to protect Massachusetts residents from identity theft. As a business operating in Massachusetts, the College is subject to this law. MA OCABR ID Theft Web Site Massachusetts isn’t the only… Continue reading »
Overview The purpose of this document is to lay out guidelines for secure and safe computing for College faculty and staff. In the world of computing, it seems that anything that stays the same for more than six months is obsolete. This document is not immune. Please check back for… Continue reading »
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month As part of promoting cyber security at Williams we sent out a number daily messages during the month of October on a variety of topics around staying safe online. Identity Theft, Phishing & Other Scams Scam… Continue reading »