Staying protected

CSU Information Security Officer Steve Lovaas has witnessed the growing sophistication of phishing attacks over the past 20 years, noting that today’s threats are being leveraged by nation states, foreign corporations, and organized crime.

“The adversaries are getting better and smarter and better funded,” Lovaas said. “So what we can do is help people be aware of the trends and the tools as well as reevaluate our own technologies that are protecting us.”

Lovaas advises people to regularly update operating systems and internet browsers to protect against threats. He also recommends using two-factor authentication, something the university has been using the past few years.

“You always have to ask yourself, ‘Is this normal? Does this make sense?’ If we can all make this a habit, we’re all going to be a lot safer.”

— Steve Lovaas, CSU information security officer

Lovaas also stressed the importance of having a keen awareness about security, whether it’s computers, smartphones, email or even social media.

“Whether it’s the traffic in the street that you’re about to cross or the potential for a phishing attack behind the email you’re about to read, it’s important to reserve a little bit of your attention for surroundings,” he said. “You always have to ask yourself, ‘Is this normal? Does this make sense?’ If we can all make this a habit, we’re all going to be a lot safer.”