User education and outreach efforts to promote
secure computing at Yale, 2008-2009

Yale University has many ongoing efforts to guard the security and privacy of the network and computing environment at Yale. We also have many additional programs now in development that will increase the security and privacy of our computing and digital data, including:

• The Managed Workstation Program (including desktop, laptop, and mobile computing devices)
• Secure network storage & collaboration
• Data encryption for mobile and desktop computing, and mobile devices
• An ongoing update and expansion of University policies that govern the security and confidentiality of University computing and data
• Expanded network monitoring for security threats and compromised systems
• Expanded Data Network Operations and Information Security Office programs and staffing

The information on this page illustrates Yale University's user education efforts to date in data and computing security and confidentiality, in 2008 and early 2009.

The University has developed a campus-wide computing security user education program to:

• Inform users about current and potential threats to Yale's confidential digital information
• Make users aware of threats to the personal information they use or store on their workplace or home computers
• Specific education materials and warning about:
  • Email "phishing" schemes
  • The legal restrictions and information security implications of file sharing
• Education and user outreach on new policies and programs designed to make Yale's computing environment and data more secure

User education and Yale community outreach efforts to date have included:

• The Secure Computing web site
• Phishing posters
• Web banners on security and phishing
• General computing security awareness posters
• Student college events
• Anti-filesharing posters
• Student video on filesharing dangers
• Online secure computing quiz and prizes
• Miscellaneous give-aways promoting Secure Computing

The Secure Computing web site

In June of 2008 Yale ITS launched a newly revised user education site to promote secure and confidential computing practices and policies at Yale. All user documentation on data security and secure computing was re-written to make the material more accessible to average campus users, and brought up-to-date to reflect the most current computing security best-practices, official policies, and security threats facing Yale computer users.

http://www.yale.edu/its/secure-computing/

 

Phishing posters

Throughout 2008 and continuing into 2009 Yale's Information Technology Services has maintained a high-profile poster, website, and user education campaign to inform and warn Yale community members of the threats to Yale and personal privacy by email "phishing" messages that ask users to supply personal and confidential information. Over 500 12 x 18 inch color posters were printed in multiple campus-wide publicity campaigns over the course of 2008.

 

Web banners on security and phishing

A partial selection of the many web page "banner ads" Yale ITS has used over the last 18 months to inform and educate users about threats to computing security, identity theft, "phishing" schemes, and other security-related matters.

 

General computing security awareness posters

These general computing security awareness posters were part of a large campaign of user events, publicity efforts, and user education sessions to support "Cyber Security Month" in October of 2008.

 

Student college events

ITS information security, student computing, and communications staff did presentations at the 12 Yale undergraduate residential colleges, as well as additional presentations for graduate students, medical students, faculty, and staff members during October and November of 2008. The events were extensively publicized with posters, website and email announcements, and weekly advertisements in the Yale Daily News.

 

Anti-filesharing posters

User education on the legal status and cyber security risks of filesharing programs was a major component of the user education campaigns aimed at undergraduates at Yale.

 

Student video on filesharing dangers

Yale Student Computing Collaborative produced a Harry Potter themed video on the legal, security, and privacy dangers of using peer-to-peer filesharing programs to distribute copyrighted materials. This video is available only to members of the Yale community. Please contact us ONLY if you already have permission from the Yale General Counsel's Office to view this internal Yale production.

 

Online secure computing quiz and prizes

In addition to prizes awarded in the various student college events, ITS and the Yale Information Security Office sponsored a quiz with small prizes for a randomly-selected group of faculty and staff users who got all the quiz answers correct.

 

Miscellaneous give-aways promoting Secure Computing

ITS Communications developed various small give-away items to promote the web links to Yale's various Secure Computing and anti-filesharing sites and programs.