Current situation: increased attacks on JGU mail systems!
There has recently been an increase in cyber-attacks, both directly on IT infrastructures and on end devices. A large proportion of these attacks are carried out via phishing emails, which reach all of us every day. They are designed to infect your computer with malware or to spy on your data.
In these emails, you are asked to open attachments or click on links, or you are redirected to fake websites in order to enter your JGU account credentials (username/password) there.
Learn more: https://www.en-zdv.uni-mainz.de/phishing-emails/
General advice for better IT security at home
- Use an up-to-date version of your operating system and of the programs you have installed. Uninstall programs you do not need. The fewer applications you use, the smaller the attack surface of your entire system.
- Use antivirus software and a firewall BUT do not become careless just because antivirus protection or a firewall is active – they do not guarantee complete security.
- Choose sufficiently “good” passwords.
- Never use the same credentials, i.e. the same combination of username and password, for different services (Facebook, Uni-Mainz, Amazon).
- Use a password safe (e.g. KeePass) to store your passwords well encrypted in a secure place.
- On the website haveibeenpwned.com you can check whether your email address / password combinations have been captured in known data breaches.
- Change your password if you have recently clicked a link in an email (which you had not checked beforehand) that took you to a login page.
- Use two-factor authentication wherever possible.
The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) also provides information and recommendations on the topic of IT security.
Recommendations for handling hardware and software
- Always install every security update for firmware, operating systems and software on each of your devices immediately.
- Never work with administrator rights – except for administrative purposes – regardless of the operating system. “Normal” users must not be able to install programs.
- Never read emails while working with administrator rights.
- Use local firewalls that only allow outgoing connections, especially on mobile devices.
- Do not install software from untrusted sources.
- Use up-to-date antivirus software with very frequent updates of the virus signatures.
Training courses
The DATA CON working group at the Institute of Computer Science offers
training courses on data protection and IT security on its website.