UofSLibrary News

The University of Scranton’s Information Security Office has released a memo warning the University community about the Koobface worm.

Here’s the official word:

The University’s Information Security Office has received official notice from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team about the increasing threat of the Koobface worm. This computer malware targets users of social networking sites such as facebook.com, friendster.com and myspace.com with the intent of stealing personally identifiable information and credit card information. There are approximately 60 reported Koobface variants, all of which entice users to click on a link to a fake video hosting website with messages such as “This is a video of you on the street.” These messages can appear to be sent from someone the user knows whose profile has already been compromised…

Users are advised to ignore messages similar to the one above and refrain from clicking links in unsolicited message, even out of curiosity. For more information about this and other malware threats, please contact security@scranton.edu.

You can find more information about Koobface from McAfee or Symantec.

If you’ve been in the Library this semester, you have probably seen signs like the one above, perched on many of the group study tables and in the group study rooms. The reason for these signs is simple: we (your team of intrepid librarians) have noticed the tendency for students to leave their personal belongings — including laptops (both personal and those checked out from the Library), textbooks, cell phones, USB drives, RoyalCards, wallets and purses — unattended while working in the Library.

Now, on the one hand, this is a sign that you guys feel at home here at the Library, which is a very good thing. It means we’re doing our job, and the Library is fulfilling one of its many purposes, so yay for that!

However, last semester there was a very bad situation during finals where textbooks were being stolen when left unattended in the Library, and were presumably resold as used textbooks, for a profit. And it wasn’t just one or two textbooks — it was entire classes who were stuck, the day before they were due to take the final, without a textbook to study from. It was a bad, bad situation.

We also sometimes find Library laptops left completely after they’ve been used, and the poor student who checked out the laptop for 3 hours suddenly gets charged a huge overdue fine (around $70!) when the laptop finally gets checked back in at the end of the night. Now, imagine if you left your personal laptop unattended and then it were stolen — the expense would be even worse! (Not to mention all your lost files…)

And along the same lines, we also sometimes notice Library computers (PCs) which no longer have a student working at them, but are often left logged in, and sometimes even have websites with personal, sensitive information left on the screen for anyone to see, copy or steal. And I’m talking social security numbers, FAFSA information, and the like! Not good! With the risk of identity theft already being high in our digital world, I strongly encourage all of you to close out of browsers and documents, and then log out of the Library computers before walking away. By logging out, you make it so the next PC user can’t inadvertently stumble upon the website or file with your personal information during their time on the computer following yours, since all files and browser history are wiped out when you log out.

So, please, don’t leave your personal belongings unattended — or do so at your own risk. (And the risk is high!)

And remember to close browser windows and documents, and log out of Library PCs before walking away.

This has been a Public Services Announcement provided by your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian.

:-)

Tag: security

Beware Koobface

Taking Care of Your Stuff