Cyber Security Resources

Our Director of Technology, Dustin Briles has created several different resources on different areas of cyber security. With the increased use of technology in all areas of our lives, these resources are useful in educating yourself on potential dangers of technology.

Phishing

At SEM we heavily use DocuSign for electronically signing documents, and chances are, you've used it at some point in the last few years. Since the increased popularity of DocuSign, we've been receiving more and more fake DocuSign emails. It's important to understand what to look for, and Dustin shares some of the common things to look for to help determine if the DocuSign email is legit.

Is that DocuSign email legit?

If you signed important paperwork electronically in the last few years, chances are you used DocuSign. Other products exist, but at this point DocuSign is so ubiquitous that it is in danger of becoming the Kleenex of electronic signature software (fun fact: there’s a word for this - genericide). SEM

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Why is it important to educate yourself on security things like password managers, two-factor authentication, etc.? Dustin shares a personal experience with his social media. Chances are, you've had something similar happen.

Why all these security things matter

I recently went through a (very minor) situation that reminded me why we go through the trouble of setting up all of these “security things” - things like a password manager, unique passwords for every account, and two-factor authentication. Here’s one of several identical emails I received last month (with

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If you prefer videos instead of reading the information, check out this webinar from Dustin on phishing.

November 2021 Phishing Webinar

Last week we held a webinar on phishing and other security topics. This was essentially a refresh of the 2019 webinar we did, with two specific goals in mind: 1. Shorter length - I wanted to keep this webinar shorter. I know that I personally don’t like to attend long

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Two-factor authentication is an important part of security and preventing phishing attacks; however, it isn't always enough. Here's an example of why you still need to be cautious even if you're using 2FA.

Phishing - Why We Need Training (And Why 2FA Isn’t Enough)

Last week we dealt with a phishing attack that turned out to be a bit scary. The attack used a technique that I knew was possible, but had only read about before (check out this post on Reddit). This was the first time I had actually seen it for myself.

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Password Management

Do you use a password manager? If you don't already, we highly recommend using one. To be more secure, you need to create unique passwords for all the different logins you have; however, it's difficult to remember unique passwords for every single account you have requiring a password. Dustin shares how to better manage your passwords and a recommendation for a password manager.

Managing Passwords Effectively

We use passwords everywhere and humans have a hard time with this. What can you do?

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Did you know there's a difference between good two-factor and two-step authentication? While using any type of 2FA is better than nothing, Dustin wants to educate you on what the best options are in terms of security.

How Secure is Your “2FA”?

The method you use for 2FA might not be as secure as you think it is

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Green Lock Symbol / Padlock

You've probably noticed the padlock symbol next to the URL in your address bar, but do you know what it actually means? Here's what it means and why it's important.

What does the padlock in your address bar really mean?

If you have been on the internet much in the last 20-ish years, you may have noticed the padlock symbol next to the URL in your address bar. Here’s what it looks like in Chrome: In Firefox: In Edge: You may have noticed this on your mobile device as well:

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Telephone Scams

While we tend to focus on phishing emails, we can't forget about telephone scams. Here are some things to look out for.

Beware of telephone scams (and today is Slam the Scam Day?)

I got an email update from CISA yesterday telling me that apparently today is “Slam the Scam” Day. You can read the update in its entirety here. This is an excerpt: In association with the Federal Trade Commission’s National Consumer Protection Week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has designated

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