Awareness Education

Bearkat Cybersecurity 101

Sam Houston State University's biggest cyberthreat is phishing, which is the process of sending fake emails to convince the recipient to provide their personal information, such as usernames and bank details. 

There are more cyberthreats to SHSU and we are here to provide you with the armor to ensure you are protected at on campus and at home. The below cybersecurity creed is easy to memorize and will assist you with protection. 

Bearkat Creed

Shield and Cybersecurity Creed: I AM A BEARKAT. I will SECURE my information. I will PROTECT my passwords. I will IGNORE unknown links. I will REPORT sketchy emails. AWARENESS IS MY ARMOR.

SECURE - PROTECT - IGNORE - REPORT

Use the Bearkat Creed often to ARMOR yourself with AWARENESS against cyberthreats.

I will SECURE my information:
It is easy to get lax when it comes to securing confidential information on your computer and in your office. But it is still an important practice. A few easy ways to ensure your information is secure are through email encryption, file encryption, two-factor authentication, filing and locking up physical documents, and more.


I will PROTECT my passwords:
We know the "sticky note method" of storing passwords seems easy, but in the long run, it can become a nightmare if it gets into the wrong hands. We have an easier method of protecting and even creating passwords for you called LastPass Premium. It is FREE to ALL Bearkats and only requires you to remember one password because it autofills all of your passwords for you once you set up your account. 

I will IGNORE unknown links:
It is imperative that you pay attention to the contents of emails with unknown or unexpected links and even attachments. We have your back at SHSU with the implementation of SafeLinks and SafeAttachments, but no technology is 100%. If you received a suspicious email with links and attachments in your SHSU inbox, verify if it is a common scam email at SHSU by checking the Phish Bowl.

I will REPORT sketchy emails:
Reporting sketchy emails is beneficial in many ways. Your reports allow our IT Security Team add the email to block senders and links then add it to the Phish Bowl to protect other Bearkats from falling victim to phishing scams. There are a few ways to report these emails such as the Report IT site or forwarding the email to abuse@shsu.edu

NOTE: If you fall victim to a cyber scam at SHSU, don't hesitate to reach out to us and report it. We are here to help and guide you in ensuring your information stays protected. 

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