The Office of Information Technology is planning a series of presentations on cyber security in October.

Tim Gurganus, security officer with OIT security and compliance, said he will present the opening presentation, “NCSU Annual State of InfoSecurity.”

“The presentation will be an annual report of our most important security concerns, and contain an analysis of all the phishing attacks, malicious mail and viruses that infect numerous facebook and twitter pages,” said Gurganus.

Pointing out the importance of staying safe on the Internet in today’s e-campus, Marc Hoit, vice chancellor of OIT, said he wants to emphasize precautions, however stringent, are never enough.  

N.C. State has the largest public university network in the state and is a major target for hackers and phishers alike, according to Gurganus.  About eight percent of all student mails are spam.

Attackers are beginning to target applications more frequently, rather than just the operating system. A major trend is to attack commonly used applications like Java, Adobe Reader, Flash and Firefox, according to Gurganus.

“My view is that we have to balance between allowing for freedom for expression and exploration, and creating and maintaining a safer network that prevents malicious code,” Gurganus said.

Gurganus said he wanted to emphasize the importance of regularly updating products.

“Many students do not install these patches because they either simply don’t know that they exist, or don’t bother much. This should be taken seriously because it helps avoid many security problems,” Gurganus said.

OIT recently upgraded the student information system. SIS is an integrated information system which serves all departments within the University.  There are modules which include information about business activities and human resources.  SIS has a lot of monitoring systems and is safer than before. The OIT also plans to start a “Safe Computing Section” on its website.

The University has a bi-monthly newsletter which updates students about various issues related to information technology on campus. SysNews, a public webpage, is another resource maintained by the OIT.

The cyber security presentations will also focus on Facebook privacy and the numerous ways students can stay updated and safe.

“Our two biggest concerns regarding students’ safety are with students releasing information that compromises their identity on the Internet, mostly on sites like Facebook and Twitter, and regarding social engineering for security,” Hoit said.

According to Hoit, social engineering includes emails that redirect the user to a webpage which causes them to give personal information online. As well, Hoit said smartphones make it more important for users to stay aware.

“With the advent of smartphones, staying aware and protecting your identity has become all the more important. Luckily such cyber-theft issues are not widespread and students are generally aware about such threats,” Hoit said

Hoit said students should remember the information they share can be found by other people.

“If you spend a little time thinking about the implications of the information you share, you’ll be a lot safer.  When you put something in an email, you should be able to put it as a headline in the newspaper,” said Hoit.

The Student Advisory Group started by Hoit is a link between the OIT and the student body. The Student Advisory Group meetings provide a place for students of all affiliations to share their thoughts and ideas about technology.  Hoit participates in these meetings by listening to feedback, answering questions and addressing concerns.  The Student Advisory Group generally meets once a month during the fall and spring semesters.  

Gurganus said, “The Student Advisory Group is to help us to stay connected to the student body.”