Kategorie: ‘IT-Security’
Vishing: Stealing data on the phone
Cyber-attacks are not just part of everyday life in companies. Even when opening our private e-mail inboxes, we occasionally encounter peculiar e-mails suggesting that the addressee is required to take urgent action. The e-mail urges the addressee to update personal data, enter account information for the payout of a reward, or click on links. Phishing is no longer unknown among fraud methods. However, the attacks are becoming more and more elaborate. Somewhat less known and therefore more surprising, however, are so-called vishing attacks. Fraudsters are coming up with a lot of new ways to obtain data from their victims. Read the rest of this entry »
IT-Security and the Internet of Things
The number of smart technologies seeing the light of day is growing steadily. Any everyday problem either gets its own smart solution or becomes at least supported by new technologies. The Internet is all around and supports us in every single aspect of our lives. By now, even our coffee machines are connected to our smartphone and ensures that our coffee is already waiting for us in the kitchen while we are still sitting at our desk. The so-called Internet of Things has countless advantages and is rightly referred to as the 4th Industrial Revolution. What exactly lies behind this term, what are the risks, and how can we avoid them? Read the rest of this entry »
Safer Internet Day 2022 – Together for a better Internet
How safe is our use of the Internet? That is not an easy question to answer. Some risks we are aware of, but others are often completely underestimated. Whether one’s own use of the Internet is really safe is usually only noticed, if at all, when it is already too late. Therefore, it is particularly important to raise awareness of the risks and emerging concerns about using the Internet. From cyberbullying to social media use or digital identity, every year the international Safer Internet Day (SID) aims to raise awareness about Internet safety. Read the rest of this entry »
Backdoors: Access Through an Alternative Access Point
In life, sometimes it can be very useful to have a plan B or to keep a backdoor open. But would you leave your house and hide the keys to the backdoor under the doormat? For burglars, this setup would probably be an easy target. In IT as well, so-called backdoors are a very popular target for hackers. However, these backdoors are much more tricky and discreet than an open door or hidden keys under a doormat. Because even when the original breach of security, such as an open window, no longer exists, cybercriminals can still get in and out as they please via the implemented backdoor.
Cyber-Security-Awareness-Training at RWTH Aachen University
Due to the increasing number of cyber attacks, which are also targeting universities and other institutions, RWTH Aachen University has been conducting an internal phishing simulation to increase cyber security awareness with the help of the security company SoSafe GmbH since December 06, 2021.
Zero Day Exploit Log4Shell
On December 10, 2021, an extremely critical, since trivially exploitable, vulnerability (Log4Shell) in the standard library Log4J became public. Since it became known, hackers and security experts have been racing against time. “Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could lead to a complete takeover of the affected system,” warned Arne Schönbohm, President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
Data backup made easy
With the year 2021 nearing its end, a whole new year full of possibilities is about to begin. Once again, the time has come for some good resolutions. This year has clearly shown us how essential a good IT infrastructure is. Day after day, huge amounts of data are created, processed and shared, both privately and professionally. But what if this data unexpectedly disappears? While many people may be aware of the danger of data loss, only a few actively take precautions to protect their data from such a loss in a private context. Frequent backups aim to prevent data loss and are an essential aspect of IT security.
“Keep Your Hard Drive” – Data security, a must!
Whether on the work computer, drives or the copier, IT managers in companies, but also each individual employee, have to deal with a lot of data at work. When data media need to be repaired or replaced, we sometimes carelessly hand them over. This also applies to our private PCs at home. But be careful in this matter! We give you tips on how to handle your data media with care and thus ensure greater data security.
IT Security Awareness: Increasing Consciousness for IT Security
Computers have become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. Whether at work or during leisure time, information technology often facilitates our daily lives. Every day and at any time, we surf the internet and provide various institutions with our personal data. Cyberattacks too are becoming more frequent and often cause great damage, not only to the individual user, but also to entire companies and institutions. It is of great importance to protect those sensitive data from being stolen and misused.
IT-SAD: The IT Security Awareness Days in the winter semester 2021!
IT is all around us. We use it in our free time and at work, both at home and on the road. The possibilities it offers us are almost unlimited. But with these possibilities also comes great responsibility, as the use of IT is not always without risks. Cyberattacks are no longer isolated incidents and can affect anyone. With more attacks, there is a need for more IT security and a higher level of awareness. For this reason, several German universities are campaigning for greater awareness in this field.
In order to raise awareness, several German universities have now joined forces for the second time to organise the IT Security Awareness Days. During this online event series, a total of 24 lectures on the topic of information security will be held from 4 October to 12 November 2021. The following universities are actively involved: TU Braunschweig, TU Darmstadt, Uni Hildesheim, KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Uni Göttingen/GWDG, Uni Marburg, Uni Osnabrück, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Uni Duisburg-Essen, Uni Köln. The series of events is open to the public. A registration is not required.