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Schlagwort: ‘IT-Security’

IT-SAD: IT-Security Awareness Days 2025

November 3rd, 2025 | by

From November 3 to November 14, 2025, the IT Security Awareness Days will take place for the tenth time. During these two weeks, a total of 18 online lectures on the topic of IT security will be held. These are organized by various universities.

The following institutions are involved (although not always with their own presentations): TU Braunschweig, TU Darmstadt, TU Dresden, University of Hildesheim, KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, University of Göttingen/GWDG, University of Marburg, University of Osnabrück, Leuphana University Lüneburg, University of Duisburg-Essen, University of Cologne, and Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences.

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How quickly can my password be cracked?

August 13th, 2025 | by
Password being cracked with a crowbar

Source: Own Illustration

How long can your password currently withstand a hacker?

In times when cyberattacks are commonplace and current supercomputers can test billions of combinations per second (future quantum computers may be able to test many more), password security is becoming a matter of digital survival. In this article, you will find out what methods attackers use to crack passwords – and what simple measures can make the difference between data theft and digital security.

 

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SOC On-Call Service: IT Security Around the Clock

July 9th, 2025 | by
A protective shield with the text “SOC - Security Operation Center” on it; network structures in the background

Source: Own illustration

Whether it’s suspicious activity on the network, compromised user accounts, or acute cyber attacks – every minute counts in an emergency. In order to be able to respond to security incidents at RWTH even faster and more effectively in the future, the IT Center’s Security Operation Center (SOC) has had an on-call service since June 1, 2025. This means that the SOC team can now also be reached outside regular working hours if necessary, ensuring greater security in the university network around the clock.

 

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What Is Typosquatting?

June 18th, 2025 | by
Businessman hand touching to search icon bar

Source: Freepik

The internet offers many opportunities – but also risks. One of the lesser known but potentially very dangerous threats in the field of cyber security is typosquatting. But what does this term actually mean? Typosquatting refers to a technique in which attackers attempt to redirect users to fake or unwanted websites. This is usually done by exploiting typos or similar domain names of well-known websites. Instead of the actual website, you end up on a page that looks deceptively similar to the real one or contains completely different, sometimes malicious content.

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How to Set up a Secure Home Network

May 14th, 2025 | by
Illustration of a laptop displaying a login screen, surrounded by icons for internet, Wi-Fi, data sharing, media, and a security shield with a padlock.

Source: Freepik

More and more devices in our everyday lives are connected to the internet – from home offices and online banking to smart thermostats and surveillance cameras. And all these digital helpers access a common system: the home network. It forms the heart of our digital infrastructure at home. In this article, we explain what a home network is, what risks it poses, and how you can effectively protect it from attacks.

 

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DNS at RWTH Aachen University Part 1:
History & Function of the DNS

May 5th, 2025 | by
A globe with location markers connected by lines, next to it a laptop with a security lock symbol on the screen, in the background a cityscape with a WLAN symbol and flying paper airplanes.

Source: Freepik

The Domain Name System (DNS) makes the Internet usable by translating readable names such as rwth-aachen.de into IP addresses. It originated from simple lists of names and developed into a globally distributed, hierarchical system. Today, it fulfils many more tasks – for example in the areas of e-mail, IT security and network management. The DNS also plays a central role at RWTH Aachen University and is protected by modern technologies such as DNS firewalls. This article provides an overview of the origin, structure and current significance of the DNS.

 

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Effective Backup Strategies: Correct Data Backup

March 31st, 2025 | by

Source: Freepik

Backing up important professional or private files, such as texts, images and other documents, is essential. Data loss can have catastrophic consequences, whether caused by technical mishaps, accidental deletion or even hardware theft. Data loss can also be caused by viruses or hacker attacks. Viruses can, for example, encrypt the hard drive and then demand a ransom. Here are some proven strategies and tools to ensure that your data always remains safe and accessible. You can also take a look at the category IT-Security on our website to find out more tips.

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IT Security When Traveling

March 28th, 2025 | by
Young man sitting on two suitcases, viewing travel destinations on his laptop

Source: Freepik

Those who frequently use public transportation are often reminded to take care of their personal belongings. The material damage caused by theft or loss is obvious. The dangers of data theft are perhaps less apparent but have equally serious consequences. These consequences include identity theft, unauthorized access to financial data and potential damage to your personal and professional reputation.

With the right IT security tips, you can reliably protect your data on the move and travel with peace of mind. In this blog post, you can find out how to protect your data effectively – whilst enjoying every trip in peace.

 

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European Data Privacy Day 2025

January 29th, 2025 | by
Lock and security icons with laptop in the middle

Source: Freepik

Every year on January 28 is European Data Privacy Day – a date that reminds us of the importance of protecting our personal data and privacy in the digital world. We at the IT Center take this day as an opportunity to draw attention to key aspects of data protection.  We already emphasised the importance of protecting our personal data in last year’s article.

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Updates Again! – Why Are Regular Software Updates So Important?

November 29th, 2024 | by
Locks

Source: Stockvault

An update is the updating of the version of a software, information or version. In the case of software updates, for example, a distinction is made between security and firmware updates, and in the case of information updates, for example, between situation, news and status updates. Version updates usually refer to technical devices.

 

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