Information Security

Shana Sumpter, director of information security, says it is important not to ease up on security practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Organizations are shifting the way they operate and going remote. That means hackers are shifting the way they operate too and taking advantage of the crisis to launch attacks. It is important to stay safe and remain secure in a remote environment," Sumpter said.

Sumpter says operating in a remote environment is not the time to relax security controls; instead, now is the time to be even more diligent with exercising good cyber hygiene.

You may be offered information by email concerning the COVID-19 disease or asked to contribute to a charitable organization to assist persons in need. These scams come in the form of emails, websites, phone calls, text messages, and even fax messages. Examples of suspicious behavior include asking for login information, sending unsolicited emails, directing you to malicious websites, or asking for direct donations to support emergency response or funding.

For remote work, Sumpter recommends separating your network so that your work and personal devices are on different wireless networks, where possible. She also encourages you to make sure your antivirus software is up to date and running and suggests you lock or log out of your computer when you step away from the computer to protect access to work systems.

For more information and additional tips, visit the University of Richmond's Information Services website.

Contact AVP for media and public relations Cynthia Price at cprice2@richmond.edu to connect with Sumpter.