Xavier’s cybersecurity team event empowers students to ‘Secure Our Campus’
October 14, 2024
As October is widely known for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is also recognized for Cybersecurity Awareness. To celebrate this and provide more information for students, the Office of Technology Administration held a kickoff event on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2024.
Students attended a slideshow presentation by Gregory Jones, Information Security Officer, and Melva Williams, Associate Vice President of the Office of Technology Administration.
The presentation offered tips for students on securing email accounts, using multi-factor authentication, recognizing phishing attacks, and more.
“I hope students can identify malicious emails and social engineering attempts. I also hope they understand the risks if their information is linked to the dark web. We wanted to provide ways to prevent that from happening,” Jones said.
According to a report from Secureframe by Anna Fitzgerald, “Global cyberattacks continue to rise in 2024, with the average number of cyberattacks per organization per week reaching 1,308 in the first quarter of 2024.” The article also noted a 28% increase in attacks from 2023 and a 5% annual increase.
“In this day and age, we must be vigilant and aware. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t. It’s better to be cautious than to become a victim,” Williams said.
The Office of Technology Administration themed the event “Secure Our Campus,” similar to this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme, “Secure Our World.” The department aimed to focus on cybersecurity at Xavier by showing students and staff its importance.
“It’s extremely important to secure our campus. What’s at stake is the ability to continue learning, teaching, and accessing the technology we need for day-to-day operations,” Williams said.
Students also enjoyed video games at the end of the presentation and had the opportunity to complete a survey to be entered into a raffle for electronics or Xavier gear.
“This was an informative event. It taught me not only how to protect myself but also how to stay secure with my email,” one student
