Cybersecurity Awareness Month
The line between our online and offline lives is indistinguishable. In these tech-fueled times, our homes, societal well-being, economic prosperity and nation’s security are impacted by the internet.
What is 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. Cyberattacks can result in serious problems for the University and its faculty, such as the alteration and misrepresentation of faculty data, the loss of private information the University is legally bound to protect, or a massive shutdown of the University’s online operations.
The University of Chicago joined more than 1,700 other organizations by committing to support this campaign as a Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion. As part of that effort, the Information Security team will share weekly blog posts that include helpful and interesting facts and recommendations selected to keep members of the University community informed about the latest security concerns and empowered to do their parts to keep themselves and the University safe.
2024 Focus
Now in its 21st year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to build momentum and impact co-led by the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) with the overarching theme for 2024:
“Secure Our World”
This year, we are focusing on four key behaviors instead of weekly themes:
- Enabling multi-factor authentication
- Using strong passwords and a password manager
- Updating software, apply security updates often
- Recognizing and reporting phishing
Events & Activities
The theme for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024 is “Secure Our World”. Launched in 2023, Secure Our World empowers everyone to understand the simple ways to protect the University, you, and your family from online threats. We’re increasingly connected through digital tools and more of our sensitive information is online. This convenience comes with risks. Each of us has a part to play in keeping ourselves and others safe. It’s easy to do and takes less time than you think.
Join us for exciting events and activities that will test your cybersecurity and reinforce secure behaviors that you can use in your daily lives.
Tech Talk Tuesdays
When you register and attend the full webinar, your chance to win a Cybersecurity Awareness care package increases.
Digital Escape Room
Help Chip get out of a tough spot and teach this young bot how to stay safe online (log in required).
Cybersecurity Terms Wordle
Can you solve this week’s cybersecurity-themed Wordle puzzle in 6 attempts?
Paper Destruction Event
Open to the University of Chicago Community! Sponsored by the Biological Sciences Division.
Level Up Your Cybergame Trivia Gameshow
Be a part of the team that helps UChicago take home the W(in)
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Videos
CAM Faculty Spotlight: Harold Pollack
Harold Pollack, PhD, Co-Director of the Health Lab and Helen Ross Professor, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024 Blog Posts
- MFA Fatigue (aka MFA Exhaustion) Explained
The average U.S. smartphone user receives over 46 notifications daily—nearly two per hour—creating frequent distractions that cyber criminals exploit. This tactic, known as MFA Fatigue, tricks users into approving malicious access requests.
- Job Fraud Threats Targeting Our Students
Cyber attackers often rely on social engineering—tricking you into giving up your own information—rather than complex hacking tools. A rising threat targets college students with phishing emails posing as easy work-from-home jobs.
Learn how to spot fake job offers and report suspicious activity
- New Sextortion Emails Meant to Motivate You to Act
Scammers are evolving their sextortion tactics by making phishing emails more convincing and personal. Using leaked data from breaches along with publicly available tools like Google Maps, they craft messages designed to scare recipients into action.
- QR Code Phishing (aka Quishing) Explained
Cybercriminals are getting sneaky by using QR codes in phishing attacks, called “quishing.” This series breaks down how they start these attacks through email and shows you how to stay one step ahead to keep your data and people safe.
- Securing Your Digital Life with Multi- Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts by requiring a two-step verification process. It’s simple to set up and makes it much harder for criminals to gain access. Whenever available, enable MFA to protect your accounts and boost your online safety.