This year's Cybersecurity Awareness Month will focus on ways to protect yourself from phishing and job scams, how to secure your data when using AI, and how to prepare for the upcoming multifactor authentication (MFA) changes coming to UMass Amherst.
UMass Amherst Employees: Please complete your annual Cybersecurity Training. Review frequently asked questions about the training.
UMass IT Student Ambassadors will be at the Student Union throughout October with weekly games and raffle opportunities!
Date: October 5, October 13, October 21, October 29
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Lobby of Student Union
Note: To qualify to enter the raffle for one of five $50 gift cards to the UMass Store (drawn at the end of month), you must be a UMass student and you must download the Microsoft Authenticator App or show that you already have it downloaded.
Multifactor Authentication
A big change is coming to multifactor authentication (MFA) at UMass Amherst. Don’t let it sneak up on you.
Starting next semester, text messages and phone calls will no longer be available as authentication options at UMass Amherst.
Why? These methods are proven to be more vulnerable to attacks than other forms of authentication.
Check out these additional resources:
Phishing
Phishing emails have gotten harder to spot. Many of the obvious warning signs we learned to look for, such as typos or fake email addresses, aren’t so obvious anymore. A convincing message can still be a scam.
One clue is that it’s trying to get you to act quickly. If an email asks you to click a link or enter your credentials, or claims to be an urgent matter, slow down and give it another look.
⚠️ Remember: UMass Amherst IT will never ask for your password or personal information by email. Report any suspicious messages to the security team at @email.
Job Scams
Job scams often target students with offers that seem too good to be true. Maybe the pay is unusually high and it’s fully remote, or the offer is for a position you never even applied for.
Before you respond, check who actually sent the message, and don’t ever respond to requests for money. Any legitimate job will not require you to buy equipment up front or use cryptocurrency deposits.
So don’t get tricked by a job offer that looks like a treat.
If you’re ever unsure, stop and check. Ask a trusted advisor, or report it to the UMass IT security team. These scams can compromise your identity, your finances, and even university systems if you’re logged in when responding.
- The UMass Job Board has more good info about job scams.
Generative AI
Generative AI may seem like magic, but it has cybersecurity vulnerabilities like any other tool. Before you paste something into an AI chat window, take a second to think about what you’re sharing. Information could leave the environment where you normally work with it.
Before hitting enter, ask yourself: Would I be comfortable sharing this information outside UMass Amherst?
If the answer is no, keep it out of the prompt.
Want to know what’s safe to use where? We’ve got a short guide.
⚠️ Remember: Think carefully before granting AI apps, agents, and services access to your devices and data