%PDF-1.3 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R ] /Count 1 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Creator (DOMPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250704093125+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250704093125+00'00') /Title (Report 07-2025) >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Length 5050 >> stream 0.702 0.800 0.816 rg 34.016 34.016 543.969 723.969 re f 1.000 1.000 1.000 rg 45.266 366.170 521.469 380.564 re f 0.773 0.773 0.773 RG 0.75 w 0 J [ ] 0 d 45.641 366.545 520.719 379.814 re S 0.773 0.773 0.773 rg 61.016 381.920 m 550.984 381.920 l 550.984 382.670 l 61.016 382.670 l f 0.200 0.200 0.200 rg BT 61.016 693.716 Td /F1 14.4 Tf [(BE CYBERAWARE DURING THE HOLIDAY PERIOD)] TJ ET 0.400 0.400 0.400 rg BT 61.016 664.909 Td /F2 9.0 Tf [(Posted on )] TJ ET BT 104.045 664.909 Td /F3 9.0 Tf [(January 01,1970)] TJ ET BT 173.588 664.909 Td /F2 9.0 Tf [( by )] TJ ET BT 188.096 664.909 Td /F3 9.0 Tf [(IT Communications)] TJ ET 0.153 0.153 0.153 rg BT 61.016 637.420 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(The time has come for everyone to take a well-deserved break and spend time with friends and family. From 22 December )] TJ ET BT 61.016 626.431 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(at 12:00 until 1 January Information Technology offices will be closed and no user support will be provided.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 606.442 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(However, just because we're on holiday it doesn't mean fraudsters, opportunists and cybercriminals will also take a break. )] TJ ET BT 61.016 595.453 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(On the contrary, this is the ideal time for them to scam you out of your hard-earned money.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 575.464 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(We'd like to remind you to be especially vigilant over the holiday season by following these guidelines when receiving )] TJ ET BT 61.016 564.475 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(emails or conducting online transactions:)] TJ ET 0.153 0.153 0.153 RG 85.866 547.302 m 85.866 547.714 85.696 548.124 85.404 548.416 c 85.113 548.707 84.703 548.877 84.291 548.877 c 83.878 548.877 83.469 548.707 83.177 548.416 c 82.885 548.124 82.716 547.714 82.716 547.302 c 82.716 546.890 82.885 546.480 83.177 546.188 c 83.469 545.897 83.878 545.727 84.291 545.727 c 84.703 545.727 85.113 545.897 85.404 546.188 c 85.696 546.480 85.866 546.890 85.866 547.302 c f BT 91.016 544.486 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(We will never ask for your username and password. Don't divulge your username and/or password if being asked )] TJ ET BT 91.016 533.497 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(via email. By doing this, you are giving someone access to all your confidential SU information, including salary )] TJ ET BT 91.016 522.508 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(details.)] TJ ET 85.866 514.335 m 85.866 514.747 85.696 515.157 85.404 515.449 c 85.113 515.740 84.703 515.910 84.291 515.910 c 83.878 515.910 83.469 515.740 83.177 515.449 c 82.885 515.157 82.716 514.747 82.716 514.335 c 82.716 513.923 82.885 513.513 83.177 513.221 c 83.469 512.930 83.878 512.760 84.291 512.760 c 84.703 512.760 85.113 512.930 85.404 513.221 c 85.696 513.513 85.866 513.923 85.866 514.335 c f BT 91.016 511.519 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Do not click on any attachments, even if the address is a sun email address. If you are unsure, contact the person )] TJ ET BT 91.016 500.530 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(first to confirm.)] TJ ET 85.866 492.357 m 85.866 492.769 85.696 493.179 85.404 493.471 c 85.113 493.762 84.703 493.932 84.291 493.932 c 83.878 493.932 83.469 493.762 83.177 493.471 c 82.885 493.179 82.716 492.769 82.716 492.357 c 82.716 491.945 82.885 491.535 83.177 491.243 c 83.469 490.952 83.878 490.782 84.291 490.782 c 84.703 490.782 85.113 490.952 85.404 491.243 c 85.696 491.535 85.866 491.945 85.866 492.357 c f BT 91.016 489.541 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Do not click on a website address given in an email. Rather go to your browser and type the correct address in the )] TJ ET BT 91.016 478.552 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(address bar.)] TJ ET 85.866 470.379 m 85.866 470.791 85.696 471.201 85.404 471.493 c 85.113 471.784 84.703 471.954 84.291 471.954 c 83.878 471.954 83.469 471.784 83.177 471.493 c 82.885 471.201 82.716 470.791 82.716 470.379 c 82.716 469.967 82.885 469.557 83.177 469.265 c 83.469 468.974 83.878 468.804 84.291 468.804 c 84.703 468.804 85.113 468.974 85.404 469.265 c 85.696 469.557 85.866 469.967 85.866 470.379 c f BT 91.016 467.563 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(Never conduct any transactions on a public, unprotected WiFi connection.)] TJ ET 85.866 459.390 m 85.866 459.802 85.696 460.212 85.404 460.504 c 85.113 460.795 84.703 460.965 84.291 460.965 c 83.878 460.965 83.469 460.795 83.177 460.504 c 82.885 460.212 82.716 459.802 82.716 459.390 c 82.716 458.978 82.885 458.568 83.177 458.276 c 83.469 457.985 83.878 457.815 84.291 457.815 c 84.703 457.815 85.113 457.985 85.404 458.276 c 85.696 458.568 85.866 458.978 85.866 459.390 c f BT 91.016 456.574 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(If you are unsure of the legitimacy of an email, contact the institution or person it was sent from directly by phone )] TJ ET BT 91.016 445.585 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(to confirm.)] TJ ET BT 61.016 425.596 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(For further assistance email help@sun.ac.za or call our Service Desk at 808 4367. More information on cybersecurity can )] TJ ET BT 61.016 414.607 Td /F4 9.0 Tf [(be found on our blog and Twitter account.)] TJ ET 0.400 0.400 0.400 rg BT 61.016 396.118 Td /F2 9.0 Tf [(Posted in:E-mail,Phishing,Security | Tagged:Cybersecurity,Phishing | With 0 comments)] TJ ET endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Helvetica-BoldOblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj xref 0 12 0000000000 65535 f 0000000008 00000 n 0000000073 00000 n 0000000119 00000 n 0000000305 00000 n 0000000334 00000 n 0000000472 00000 n 0000000535 00000 n 0000005637 00000 n 0000005749 00000 n 0000005864 00000 n 0000005984 00000 n trailer << /Size 12 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R >> startxref 6092 %%EOF cybersecurity « Informasietegnologie
Language:
SEARCH
  • Recent Posts

  • Categories

  • Archives

cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Creating strong passwords

Tuesday, October 5th, 2021

Before we pointed out that most people underestimate the importance of having a secure password, and still make the mistake of using simple words and numbers as a password.

Keep in mind that your email and social network accounts contain very personal information about you. You must have a strong password to keep your personal life personal, and not become a victim of identity theft. 

  • Using email or your profile on Facebook, Whatsapp or Google, hackers can and do, extract a huge amount of personal data of your personal “online” life.
  • If you use the same password for multiple online accounts, you run the risk, if this password is hacked, of all your online accounts being compromised.
  • Using a personal name for an online account, the name of the city that you live in, the names of your children or your date of birth, give hackers vital clues for attempting to access your personal data.
  • For an average expert hacker, it is always easy to find passwords that are made up of words from the English vocabulary or other languages, using a basic technique called “brute force” or “dictionary” attacks.

What makes a password safe?

  1. A password at least 8 characters long.
  2. The password does not contain information that is easy to find online, such as the date of birth, the telephone number, your spouse’s name, the name of a pet, or a child’s name.
  3. The password does not contain words found in the dictionary.
  4. The password contains special characters like @ # $% ^ &, and numbers.
  5. The password uses a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.

A trick that the experts use to create secure passwords:

Think of a phrase and use the first letters of the words in the phrase.

  • For example: “In South Africa, a barbecue is called a Braai!”
  • Take the first letters of each word and the password that is created is ISAabicaB!
  • This will be very difficult to guess, but easy to remember.
  • At this point, you can decide to make your the Google password is ISAabicaB!-G,  and Facebook ISAabicaB!-F and your university account  ISAabicaB!-US and so on.
  • There is already a capital letter and a special character (!), so you just need to add a number to finish off a good password like 9-ISAabicaB!-US (9 could be the month you created the password in – for example)

You will have already made your password a lot more difficult to hack, and it can be a lot of fun to create. 

Be cyberaware during the holiday period

Wednesday, December 20th, 2017

The time has come for everyone to take a well-deserved break and spend time with friends and family. From 22 December at 12:00 until 1 January Information Technology offices will be closed and no user support will be provided.

However, just because we’re on holiday it doesn’t mean fraudsters, opportunists and cybercriminals will also take a break. On the contrary, this is the ideal time for them to scam you out of your hard-earned money.

We’d like to remind you to be especially vigilant over the holiday season by following these guidelines when receiving emails or conducting online transactions:

  • We will never ask for your username and password. Don’t divulge your username and/or password if being asked via email. By doing this, you are giving someone access to all your confidential SU information, including salary details.
  • Do not click on any attachments, even if the address is a sun email address. If you are unsure, contact the person first to confirm.
  • Do not click on a website address given in an email. Rather go to your browser and type the correct address in the address bar.
  • Never conduct any transactions on a public, unprotected WiFi connection.
  • If you are unsure of the legitimacy of an email, contact the institution or person it was sent from directly by phone to confirm.

For further assistance email help@sun.ac.za or call our Service Desk at 808 4367. More information on cybersecurity can be found on our blog and Twitter account.

 

© 2013-2025 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author(s) and content contributor(s). The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Stellenbosch University.