Kategorie: ‘IT-Security’
Multifactor Authentication in IdM Selfservice
IT security is a major and important topic at RWTH Aachen University and the IT Center.
Source: Freepik
Already in 2021, it was reported that the introduction of multifactor-authentication (Mfa) would provide systems with greater security against unauthorized access.
In order to offer the MFA protection to further services the IdM Selfservice is now equipped with the so-called “MFA Tokenmanager”.
Discontinuation of “Sophos Antivirus” – What You Have to Do Now
Source: Freepik
Within the framework of an NRW state license agreement, institutions of the RWTH Aachen University can use the virus scanner “Sophos Antivirus” as well as the corresponding management console “Sophos Enterprise Console” free of charge. In addition, members of the RWTH are allowed to use the software privately.
Now the company “Sophos” has discontinued the on-premises variants of its virus scanner as well as the management console “Sophos Enterprise Console” on July 20, 2023. Starting then, these products will no longer be provided with updates by the manufacturer. To find out if and/or how this is relevant to you, continue reading this blog post.
WiFi News – Part 1: New Certificate for the RADIUS Server
Source: Freepik
For the expiration of the server certificate of our authentication server radius.rz.rwth-aachen.de the certificate on the system will be exchanged on May 23, 2023. This has already been announced in the status message portal.
You will be affected by these changes the next time you log in to eduroam. What you have to do to continue using the WiFi, we explain in the following blog post.
ADAM – Active Directory Campaign
The “Managed Service Active Directory” service has been officially discontinued by the end of 2023.
Source: Freepik
There were several reasons for discontinuing this managed service. Among other things, the additional costs for the users, the high administrative maintenance effort and the insufficient scalability contributed to this decision.
Howevery, the IT Center of RWTH Aachen University already offers its facilities a far more advantageous alternative: the Active Directory for Workplace Management (ADAM for short).
After a three year project and pilot phase, during which the web interface and a security concept were designed, the managed service has now been introduced.
Safer Internet Day 2023
Source: Safer Internet Day
Whether at work, at university, or during leisure time – the Internet and digital devices have become an omnipresent part of everyday life for the majority of people. We surf the internet from anywhere, at any time of the day. The question that arises though is: How safe is our use of the new media actually?
Numerous studies have repeatedly shown that many users massively underestimate the dangers associated with the use of new media. Year after year, the press reports on numerous cyber attacks in which the naivety and ignorance of users often lead to serious consequences. There is consensus among experts on one point: the most effective way to strengthen IT security is to raise awareness and train each individual user. This is exactly what the global Safer Internet Day (SID) campaign aims to do. Read the rest of this entry »
Change-Your-Password-Day
Source: Freepik
Today is the official “change-your-password-day”. We would like to take this opportunity to once again draw attention to the importance of password security and have prepared a few tips for you.
Because hand on heart – when was the last time you changed your passwords?
Protecting the HPC account with MFA
Protection of the HPC account
Source: Freepik
At least a little less than a dozen of Europe’s supercomputers were taken offline simultaneously in May 2020. Several university centres in Europe have been attacked by hackers and had to go offline. The unknown perpetrators hacked the accounts of the users in order to gain access to the supercomputers. Fortunately, our high-performance computer was not affected, but JURECA, JUWELS and JUDAC at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Hawk at the Stuttgart High Performance Computing Centre and the supercomputers at the Leibzig Computing Centre (LRZ), for example, fell victim to the attack.
5 Tips on How to Keep Your Mobile Devices Safe
Source: Own illustration
They keep us connected at all times and in all places. They accompany us everywhere, wake us up, remind us of important appointments and provide us with entertainment. We are, of course, referring to smartphones. What was originally intended as a means of communication is now a calendar, camera, photo album, pocket watch, navigation device, pedometer and game console all in one. Even as most-used devices for Internet access, mobile devices have long since surpassed desktop computers. Smartphones are the very top of the list.
Mobile devices are practical everyday helpers, but they also hold a large amount of personal data, such as bank and credit card information. It is not uncommon for these end devices to even be used for two-factor authentication for bank transactions and other services. This makes them a popular target for hackers. With a few tips, you can effectively protect your mobile devices and the data stored on them. Read the rest of this entry »
New Year’s IT Resolutions
Source: Freepik
We all know it: At the end of each year, many people think about things they want to change or improve in the coming year. Some people want to finally take the plunge into the gym, others are determined to learn a new language, and others are planning to eat healthier. But what about resolutions in the IT sector? You haven’t dealt with that yet? No problem! The following suggestions will help you out a little bit.
Automated SSL certificates for hosted websites
Source: Freepik
Finally, the time has come. Since December 06, 2022 hosted websites are automatically converted to “https” and provided with corresponding SSL certificates. The best thing about it? You don’t have to worry about anything anymore. Read the rest of this entry »
