Increasing our cyber security posture

As of this article's publication date, Ag IT has not detected any cyber-attacks that affect the College.

What can you do to mitigate risk?

It's timelier than ever to practice good cyber hygiene.

1. Restart your computer, including those you manage, on a regular basis to ensure all security patches are installed. If you have not restarted your computer recently, Ag IT recommends you restart at your earliest convenience (today!) to protect your data and computer. You can also opt-in to our Automatic Restart Program. Check out our news article for more information.
2. Avoid falling prey to social engineering (phishing) attacks. The most common social engineering attack is phishing in which nefarious parties attempt to collect account information (username and password) to access personal information.
    -- Check the sender: Is this someone you know?
    -- Do the links within the email direct you to a legit, safe website? Outlook converts most links to ‘safe links’ after determining if the site is safe or malicious. However, that does not guarantee a malicious site is not in your email. While hovering over the link, do you recognize the destination? If not, don’t click! When in doubt, contact Ag IT for assistance.
    -- Is the sender asking for personal information, such as your date of birth or credit card number? Requesting personal information is often a sign the email is malicious.
   -- Are typos or bad grammar used? If the email does not "read well," there is often a good chance the message is a scam.
3. Save your files in locations that are backed up, like OneDrive and GSuite. If you are not using either service, please reach out to your IT Consultant.
4. Partner with your IT consultant if your computer or Penn State account becomes a vulnerability or is compromised. If OIS informs Ag IT of a security vulnerability within our college, your IT consultant will immediately contact you to begin remediation.

Please reach out if you have questions. The Ag IT help desk can be reached via agcompsupport@psu.edu, Help Request form or calling 814-865-1229.