Category Archives: top secret colonials

Data Privacy Day – January 28th

Leave a reply

The Top Secret Colonials are promoting a data privacy awareness day on January 28th. Data Privacy Day is meant to help raise the public’s awareness around data security and educate all internet users to be safer online. This day also aims to encourage greater accountability among consumers to better perceive how their information is being shared.

On January 28, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) will host events in Washington, DC and Los Angeles where privacy professionals will explain solutions to current challenges as well as best practices, such as how to recognize cyber intrusions and establishing an incident response plan. NCSA will also hold Twitter chats centered around data privacy in the days leading up to Data Privacy Day.

Data Privacy Tips (from StaySafeOnline.org):

  • Share with Care
    • What you post can last a lifetime: Before posting online think about how it might be perceived now and in the future and who might see it.
    • Own your online presence: Set the privacy and security settings on web services and devices to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s ok to limit how and with whom you share information.
    • Be aware of what’s being shared: Be aware that when you share a post, picture or video online, you may also be revealing information about others. Be thoughtful when and how you share information about others.
    • Post only about others as you have them post about you: The golden rule applies online as well.
    • Own your online presence: It’s OK to limit who can see your information and what you share. Learn about and use privacy and security settings on your favorite online games, apps and platforms.
  • Personal Information Is Like Money: Value It. Protect It.
    • Think before you act: Be wary of communications that implore you to act immediately, offer something that sounds too good to be true or ask for personal information.
    • Get two steps ahead: Switch on two-step verification or multi-factor authentication wherever offered to prevent unauthorized access.
    • Know what’s being collected, who is collecting it and how it will be used: Information about you, such as the games you like to play, what you search for online and where you shop and live, has value ‒ just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it’s collected through apps and websites. Only use a product or service if the company is open and clearly states how it will use your personal information. If you’re not sure what a business will do with your information, ask your parents. Think twice if an app wants permission to use personal information (like your location) it doesn’t need before you say “OK.”
    • Secure your devices: Use strong passwords or passcodes or touch ID features to lock your devices. Securing your device can help protect your information if your device is lost or stolen and keep prying eyes out.
    • Get savvy about WiFi hotspots: Public wireless networks and hotspots are not secure – this means the possibility exists that anyone can see what you are doing on your laptop or smartphone while you are connected to it. Think about what you are doing and if you would want another person to see it. If you use public WiFi a lot, think about using a virtual private network (VPN) that provides a more secure WiFi connection.
    • Now you see me, now you don’t: Some stores and other locations look for devices with WiFi or Bluetooth turned on to track your movements while you are within range. Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth when not in use, and limit your use of free public wireless networks, which stores and locations can use to track what you do online.
    • When in doubt, throw it out: Links in email, tweets, posts, and online advertising are often the way bad guys get access to your personal information. If it looks weird, even if you know the source, it’s best to delete.

Sources:

-http://associationsnow.com/2016/01/data-privacy-day-to-raise-publics-awareness-of-its-role-in-data-security/

-https://www.staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/privacy-tips/

The Black T-Shirt Cyber Forensics Challenge

Leave a reply

The staff in Stevenson University’s Cyber Forensics program is working with the programs at approximately 50 other colleges and universities in launching The Black T-Shirt Cyber Forensics Challenge, which is a joint academic and industry contest designed to promote interest in digital forensics, foster relationships among academic institutions, develop relationships between academia and the corporate sector, and provide a valuable hands-on exercise for learning and training.

We are looking for teams of students between 1-3 members to enter the challenge. There is no cost and this would be a great way to raise awareness of your skills and the Top Secret Colonials. We are permitted to have multiple teams but the teams are NOT permitted to work together. The annual challenge, which has already been built for this year, will run from January 1, 2016 to April 1, 2016. Challengers can register at any time in that window; once registered, links will be provided to download the data. Submissions will be due on April 1. The results will be scored in the month of April 2016.

Tools will not be provided but you can use FTK, the Password Recovery Toolkit, Splunk, DEFT, Autopsy, etc. to analyze the images. Teams are permitted to use whatever tools and methods they choose but they must be available and able to be recreated by the judges. Each member will receive a Black Cyber Forensics Challenge t-shirt.

This year’s contest involves confirming allegations of an exfiltration of company information by analyzing two computer images and network traffic. Point structure hasn’t been released yet. In addition to the main challenge, “Mini” Challenges” will be run throughout the year. These are similar to the annual challenge but smaller. The fall challenge for next year involves an executive returning from a business trip to find that there were very strange charges on her phone bill that she did not make.

More details can be found online at http://cyberforensicschallenge.com. Please email Dr. Paullet (paullet@rmu.edu) immediately so we can start forming teams.

Top Secret Colonials Christmas Tree

Leave a reply

The Top Secret Colonials have decorated a Christmas tree located in the Wheatley lobby. The tree has a technology theme and is decorated with various technology related ornaments: bedazzled floppy disks and CDs, keyboard keys, and punch cards, to name a few. Below are some pictures of the process of making the tree and the final product. Remember to come check it out in Wheatley!

Collage.jpgphoto (2)-1.jpg