Security Awareness and Training
The cybersecurity of the University of Chicago depends on every technology user. Each day, the choices you make about emails, passwords, and online trust can strengthen—or weaken—the University’s defenses. The university has multiple security offerings for different purposes, developed by different groups on campus.
Available Training opportunities
- Administrative Staff Information Security Training
For Administrative staff, this 30-minute course covers common information security objectives and practical actions for safeguarding University systems in your daily work. You’ll learn best practices for protecting computers, mobile devices, email, and passwords—helping prevent incidents that could compromise University data.
Questions? Contact itrisk@uchicago.edu.
- Faculty Information Security Training
For Faculty, Other Academic Appointees, and Postdoctoral Researchers, this 25-minute training provides practical strategies for identifying, preventing, and responding to cybersecurity threats within academic environments. Enrollees will learn how to recognize phishing attempts, protect against ransomware, and manage data responsibly.
Questions? Email itrisk@uchicago.edu
- UC HIPAA Privacy and Security Training
For University staff who create, receive, maintain, or transmit Protected Health Information (PHI), this ten-minute mandatory annual training ensures that University of Chicago staff handling PHI understand their responsibilities under federal and state law. The course provides essential guidance on safeguarding patient data, recognizing privacy risks, and complying with HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.
Completing this training helps protect both enrollees and the institution by reinforcing best practices for handling sensitive health information securely.
Content managed by The UChicago Chief Privacy Office and the UChicago Medicine Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer.
Questions? Email privacy@uchicago.edu
- UChicago Research Security Training
For all Individuals who are participating in NSF- and/or NIH-sponsored research, this 60-minute course is a required annual course for all researchers involved in federally funded projects. Designed in collaboration with multiple research universities and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this training ensures compliance with federal research security regulations. The content has been customized to reflect UChicago’s specific research environment while streamlining core NSF modules. Completion of this training is critical, as failure to do so may jeopardize current or future federal funding opportunities.
Note: All Individuals who are participating in NSF- and/or NIH-sponsored research at the University of Chicago are required to take this training. It must be completed before proposals can be submitted to NSF and NIH.
Questions? Email kathrynjones@uchicago.edu
- Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month – observed every October – is a government and private sector partnership that raises awareness about cybersecurity and best practices for preventing cyberattacks and the spread of malware.