[IS&T Security-FYI] Newsletter, June 21, 2007

[Monique Yeaton]

In this issue:

1. IT Security Awareness @ MIT Survey
2. Apple OS and Security Update
3. Tip: When Flash Drives Contain Valuable Data

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1. IT Security Awareness @ MIT Survey
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As a reader of our security newsletter, IS&T is seeking your opinion  
on the current level of awareness of safe and secure computing  
behavior, as well as your methods of receiving and sharing news and  
information on these subjects.

Your participation is very important, as your feedback will influence  
the development of both short-term and long-term educational  
programs, as well as influence the nature of our security outreach  
efforts.

The survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete. Raffle  
prizes are being offered to those who complete the survey. At the end  
of the survey, you will be eligible for one of three prizes selected  
from all who respond to the survey:

$100 gift card
$ 75 gift card
$ 50 gift card

If you wish to participate (and haven't already been invited to do  
so), the survey is completely voluntary. You may answer as few or as  
many questions as you wish.

All responses are confidential, so please be candid. Survey results  
will only be viewed in the aggregate, and identifying information  
will not be associated with any responses. Thanks for helping us with  
this effort.

To begin the survey, please visit:
<http://web.mit.edu/surveys/itsecurity/>


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2. Apple OS Security Update
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This week Apple released Mac OS 10.4.10 to patch a single security  
vulnerability (a bug found in IPv6 -- Internet Protocol version 6 --  
which if exploited by an attacker could degrade network performance)  
and address several issues in Bluetooth and USB, RAW image support  
for eight new cameras, and to fix a decimal rounding error.

The update can be downloaded from Apple's site <http://www.apple.com/ 
support/downloads> or can be retrieved using Software Update.


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3. Tip: When Flash Drives Contain Valuable Data
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thumb drives are used frequently enough that they are viewed as a  
major security threat, according to a survey of IT managers conducted  
earlier this year.

Proof of this assertion appeared in the news this month when Grand  
Valley State University alerted students of the possibility of  
identity theft after a thief made off with a flash drive. It  
contained 3000 student names and Social Security numbers. All  
students affected were recommended to contact the major credit  
bureaus and place a fraud alert on their accounts.

The administrators of the school blame the data theft on "human error  
and a false sense of security." Interestingly, an article I had  
written for the most recent 'is&t newsletter' warns against such a  
scenario. We can learn from other people's mistakes, unfortunately  
sometimes we only learn after we make that mistake ourselves. As the  
dean of academic services and information technology stated: "It's a  
wake-up call for everybody."

The local news article:
<http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/grand_valley_state_university/>

My article on flash drives can be viewed here:
<http://web.mit.edu/ist/isnews/v22/n05/220506.html>

Monique

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Monique Yeaton
IT Security Awareness Consultant
MIT Information Services & Technology (IS&T)
(617) 253-2715
http://web.mit.edu/ist/security