Stay secure online this Cyber Security Awareness Month
30 Sep 2025
October is cyber security awareness month, and we are taking the opportunity to remind colleagues about staying safe online and disposing of IT equipment safely.
Staying safe online: your crucial role in defeating scammers
In the age of online scams, our University community is an attractive target. A data breach resulting from a successful scam attack risks sensitive and personal information as well as valuable research data.
One of the most common types of scam, ‘phishing’ typically uses methods such as fake emails and websites. Rarer types of attack include the use of phone, text or QR codes, and targeted research on specific individuals.
As part of our wider cybersecurity awareness campaign the University periodically runs phishing simulation activities. These exercises provide an opportunity to keep your phishing spotting skills tuned up.
What you can do:
- Complete this cyber security training from NCSC
- Report any suspicious messages
- Set a reminder to refresh your knowledge periodically.
Using AI tools, fraudsters can launch increasingly sophisticated attacks to try and scam people – posing as trusted contacts and asking you to verify your IT account details or log in to a website are just some of the ways this can happen.
Remember - JDLR. If it Just Doesn't Look Right, report it to IT Services.
Safely dispose of your old IT kit
You can safely dispose of your old University IT equipment by contacting IT Services via Connect However, between Monday 20 and Friday 24 October we will be making it even easier as we run another IT kit amnesty across campus.
There will be two main drop-off points on campus, available from 9am – 4pm:
- Kilburn Building ground floor foyer
- Main Library ground floor foyer
More information, including lists of IT items that you can drop off will be available from mid-October.
Protecting our students from scams: Pause. Check. Protect
We’re signposting students to report fraudulent activity in a number of ways through the Pause. Check. Protect campaign. The campaign aims to alert students to common types of financial scams, spot the red flags and gives tips to help stay safe and protected.