Information Security
Phishing scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and harder to detect. Protect yourself! Read more about phishing and what you need to do to protect your private information. View this tutorial to learn more.
Emporia State University's Peer to Peer File Sharing Statement
Emporia State University’s security policies are in place not only to help protect ESU’s information, but to set standards on acceptable computing using ESU’s Internet access. ESU’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) policy states:
“..users of Internet services and equipment and equipment provided by ESU are responsible for their compliance with all copyright laws pertaining to information they place on or retrieve from the Internet.” Continue reading.
Why Information Security?
Information is an important asset that needs to be protected from unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure. Our university prides itself on the free exchange of knowledge and ideas, which means some information created or maintained by at ESU can and should be shared with the public. To these ends, the following policies have been developed and put into place. Please send your information security questions via e-mail to iso@emporia.edu. Link here for University Security Policies.
Helpful Resources
- ESU students, faculty, and staff can visit Techsite to install a copy of Symantec anti-virus software. It's free!
- Faculty and staff can also access Information Security resources. Here, you'll find:
- Information Security Reporting Procedures
- Media Sanitization and Storage Procedures
- Mobile Computing Data Inventory Sheet.
Why is Information Security needed at ESU?
Regulations, laws, privacy rights and a sense of due diligence all play important roles in information policy development. Information security covers physical security (locking information and servers away), awareness of risks and threats, and electronic security such as anti-virus programs and encryption of files.
Incident Reporting Procedures
An Information Security (IS) incident is something that has happened to compromise the information of students, faculty, and/or staff, as well as ESU business information. An IS incident could be:
- Your ESU owned computer or laptop is missing
- Your ESU network account is being used when you are not using it
- Someone else's UserID is showing on your logon screen
- You notice unsafe information protection practices.
When IS incidents happen, serious threats and consequences can occur. ESU faculty and staff are responsible for reporting suspected or known security incidents, including any observed or suspected security weaknesses in ESU systems or services. (Read the IS Incident Reporting procedures.) You may also access this information at Techsite; look in the Employee section under Information Security Procedures.
Password policy change
On October 13, 2009, the Emporia State University Password Policy was amended. The amended policy is published on page 185 of the University Policy Manual. Starting Tuesday, December 8, the new password policy will be enforced. This means the next time you are prompted to change your password, it will need to meet the criteria of the new password policy: it must be at least 8 characters in length, use 3 of 4 character sets (i.e., uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, special characters), and must not be reused within a 12 month period. You will continue to need to change your password every 180 days.
Don't Fall Victim to PHISHing!
Welcome to a new semester at ESU! The start of a new school year brings many e-mail hoaxes and PHISHing attempts. At ESU, there are e-mail quotas in place - meaning you have limited storage space for your e-mailbox. When you are near or over your e-mail quota, you will receive a pop up message to that effect when you log in to GroupWise. No one at ESU will ever send you an e-mail and ask you to send your user name, password or other information to validate your mailbox so that your e-mail account stays active. E-mail messages you receive stating your e-mail account is in danger of being shut down are called HOAX e-mails. Sometimes a message also states you must click on a link or reply to the message and provide your user name, password, or other information. These are known as PHISHing e-mails. DO NOT SHARE YOUR PASSWORD WITH ANYONE. Providing your password to someone allows that person to access YOUR information.
When TCS becomes aware of HOAX or PHISHing e-mail, an alert is posted on the Information Security Alerts channel in Buzz In, under the Technology Resources tab. If you receive an e-mail and do not know if it is legitimate, check there first; contact the HelpDesk second. The HelpDesk can be reached via phone (extension 5555), e-mail (helpdesk@emporia.edu) or in person at Butcher Education Center during the weekday or White Library in the evenings and on weekends. For more details about the HelpDesk, visit Techsite at http://techsite.emporia.edu.
Remember: Keep your information safe. Do not respond to e-mail asking for your information or password!
Go to our Security Tips Archive to learn more.