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Make Your Apps More Secure: Tips from Messiah University’s Information Security Director

When it comes to safeguarding your information, don’t forget about all the information stored on your apps. Here are a few simple steps you can take to increase your cybersecurity when it comes to app usage.

  1. Update often: Updates are important. Not only do they provide new features for the app, but they ensure you are using the most current security technology.
  2. Review your app settings for privacy changes after updates: Sometimes new data and information are being accessed without your permission. Therefore, take a moment to review the privacy and security settings of your apps after updates.
  3. Be aware of apps requesting one or more of these “dangerous” permissions.
    • Body sensors
    • Calendar
    • Camera
    • Contacts
    • GPS location
    • Microphone
    • Calling
    • Texting
    • Storage

When it comes to app permissions, you should avoid permissions that aren’t necessary for an app to work. If the app shouldn’t need access to something, such as your camera, location, or contacts, don’t allow it. Consider your privacy when deciding whether to avoid or accept an app permission request. Check your app permissions and use the “rule of least privilege” to delete what you don’t need or no longer use.

These are just a few cyber smart practices you can adopt right now to increase your cybersecurity when it comes to app usage. Taking simple steps such as the ones listed here can help you secure your personal information, thereby reducing your risk of cyber attacks.

Post written by Allen Snook, Director of Information Security at Messiah University, and Alanah Innis, Cybersecurity Senior.

Photo Credit: Gilles Lambert

#seeyourselfincyber #messiahcyber

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Staying Safe on Social Media

The goal of this year’s “See Yourself in Cyber” campaign is to raise awareness about how each one of us is responsible for our own behavior online.

Today, we wanted to resource you with a few ways to stay safe on social media, since it is such a huge part of our lives. Here are some tips we’ve gathered from CISA, along with a few additions of our own:

  • Use discretion when you post on social media. Once your words, hashtags, and photos are on the Internet, they’ll be there forever.
  • Limit the information you share online. Do not share personal information (birth dates, anniversaries, neighborhood or street names, etc.).
  • Turn your location notifications off.
  • If you want to share a picture that has someone else in it, ask for their permission first.
  • Connect only with people and networks you know.

These suggestions may seem either too simple (“If I do these things, will it actually help?”) or too complicated (“I don’t have time to think about this”). However, the reality is that when it comes to your cyber presence, you play the main role in securing your personally identifiable information (PII).

In the end, the security you place around your devices is only as strong as you. Our hope is that by providing easy-to-use tools and tips like the ones above, we will all see the value in tightening our security at home and at work.

Stay tuned for more tips and resources all month long. For more information about undergraduate degree in Cybersecurity, get in touch with us!

#seeyourselfincyber #messiahcyber

Photo Credit: dole777 via Unsplash.com

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CYSE Program Announces the “See Yourself in Cyber” Campaign, In Partnership with CISA and the NCA

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 - Messiah University Cybersecurity Education Program

Welcome to our blog! This is where you’ll find cybersecurity-related posts written by the faculty and students of the Cybersecurity Education Program at Messiah University.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the Cybersecurity Education Program is partnering with the “See Yourself in Cyber” campaign created by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Cybersecurity Awareness Month was started in 2004 at the behest of the President of the United States and Congress, in an effort to help individuals protect their information online.

The goal of this year’s “See Yourself in Cyber” campaign is to raise awareness about how each one of us is responsible for our own behavior online. All month long, we’ll be offering blog posts written by our faculty and students related to keeping your personal information safe online, as well as insights into global cybersecurity issues.

Wait, Why Does This Matter To Me?

Today we are connected to our smartphones or a computer wherever we go. Because of that, our world is becoming increasingly dependent on cybersecurity. Cyber attacks are frighteningly versatile, challenging to identify, and painfully difficult – sometimes close to impossible – to remove.

Always try to keep track of where your storage devices have been, and do not plug “lost-and-found” USB drives into your computer. Keep your personal and workplace data storage and other devices separate to avoid transferring malware from one system to another, just like washing your hands to prevent the flu from spreading!

You can greatly increase your cybersecurity online, at work and at home by taking a few simple steps: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication, Use a Trusted Password Manager and Strong Passwords, Recognize and Report Phishing, and Update Your Software.

More To Come

Stay tuned for more posts and insights from our team. For more resources, classes, and even live events this month, go to CISA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month website www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month. And if you’re interested in being part of one of the most exciting fields of study, get in touch with us at https://www.messiah.edu/undergraduate/cybersecurity-major.

#seeyourselfincyber #messiahcyber

Photo Credit: Adi Goldstein