Vigilance about cybersecurity threats

Interim Chief Information Security Officer José Domínguez sent the following message to the UO's Academic and Administrative Leadership List on February 28, 2022.


Dear Academic and Administrative Leadership,

On behalf of UO's Information Security Office, I urge you and your staff to be especially vigilant about cybersecurity threats in the coming days, on the heels of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the U.S. response of imposing sanctions on Russia.

Although there are no specific credible threats against the University of Oregon at this time, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advises all U.S. organizations to adopt an elevated state of awareness. In the past, Russian agents have launched cyberattacks against the Ukrainian power grid, state treasury, supply chain, and government websites, and have applied similar capabilities against other real and perceived adversaries. 

At the UO, we have introduced several tools in the last few years that have significantly strengthened our foundational cybersecurity protections. However, IT systems are only part of the picture. The actions of individual community members form a critical component of any cybersecurity framework.

We ask you and your staff to take the following steps to protect yourselves and the university:

  • Device security. If you install software on your own UO-owned computer, make sure your operating system and other software are up to date. Install antivirus software. Update software on personal computers and mobile devices, too.
  • Phishing emails. Follow our past guidance, including avoiding clicking links or downloading attachments from suspicious messages. Be wary of impersonated senders, including those who appear to be from the UO.

If you or your staff notice any suspicious activity on your computers or mobile devices or while using any UO IT services, please report it to the Information Security Office. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at infosec@uoregon.edu.

Thanks in advance for your partnership.

Sincerely,

José A. Domínguez
Interim Chief Information Security Officer