Technology Services at Meredith College is holding “13 Days of Cybersecurity Events” from Oct. 13-29. The Meredith Herald interviewed Lauren Hickey, ‘17, Student Technology Outreach Coordinator, about the importance and purpose of the event. Hickey said, “October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and in an effort to promote safe online practices, the Student Technology and Training (STAT) Team will participate in a social media campaign, pop-ups and giveaways on campus about topics that students should know about, including two-factor authentication, setting up your NetID accounts for Self-Service, creating strong passwords, the importance of antivirus and more.”
Over the course of the 13 days, there will be three in-person events taking place on Oct. 13, 22 and 27, each during the 10 o’clock hour on the Cate Center Patio. The in-person events on these three days will include a “STAT Team Trivia Hour” on Oct. 13, a “Staying Safe on Social Media” event on Oct. 22 and a “Gone Phishing with the STAT Team” event on Oct. 27. Hickey stated that in addition to these events, the STAT Team “will be active on all the MC Tech social media platforms [during] those 13 days and will be sharing new tips and topics daily.”
During “STAT Team Trivia Hour” and “Staying Safe on Social Media” event, students will get to spin a trivia wheel and win prizes. The “Gone Phishing with the STAT Team” event will focus on educating students on what phishing attacks look like, Hickey said. Students will also be able to sign up for Meredith College Cybersecurity Training at these events.
Meredith College’s COVID-19 Community Standards and social distancing will be in place at all of these events, and while pre-registration is not required, attendance will be taken at each event. If you have any questions or are looking to get connected with Technology Services, Hickey said, “The STAT Team runs the Technology Services Helpdesk and is ready to help students with their technology needs while at Meredith. We are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for phone, email and appointments.”
By Haileigh West, Contributing Writer