Cyber Month Week 2: Strengthen your defences

Welcome to Week 2 of Cybersecurity Awareness Month at Fleming College! This week, we are focusing on Strengthening Your Defences.

Your accounts are only as secure as the doors guarding them. Using strong passphrases, password management tools, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) ensures that your digital identity remains safe.

Passphrase & Password Management Basics

Reusing simple passwords across accounts leaves you vulnerable to account breaches, including account takeover. Switching to long, unique passphrases and using a password manager keeps your credentials secure without the memory overload.

✅ Learn 5 ways to evaluate your password strength.
✅ See how a password manager saves you time while protecting your accounts.
✅ Consider evolving to a passphrase! See why passphrases work better.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) & Upgrades

MFA adds a critical second layer of defence beyond just a password.

✅ Add a 2nd MFA Factor: We strongly encourage all users to add additional MFA methods to your profile.  Here is how to add Microsoft Authenticator for MFA.
✅ Important Authentication Shift: Microsoft will be ending MFA verification by SMS text and voice calls by February 1st, 2027. Transitioning to an authenticator app now ensures seamless access.
✅ Self-Service Password Reset: Set up or update your profile with the Self Service Password Reset (SSPR) service so you can safely regain account access anytime.
✅ Need a refresher on MFA?  Check out this short video!

Get Involved & Win

Student Prize Alert 🎁 Can you spot the Phish?  Keep an eye on your inbox and report a phish for your chance to be included in our draw to win 1 of 4 $50 Amazon gift cards.
Staff Prize Alert 🎁 – Not using 1Password? Request an invitation and start using 1Password for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card at the end of the month! 

Did You Know?

✅ Classroom & Library Exemption: On-campus desktop computers (in classrooms, the LRC, and the library) are exempt from MFA. If you lose access to your MFA device, you can log in on campus to manage your account.
✅ That Fleming College has a Password Standard: Fleming maintains an official Password and Passphrase Protection Standard (US-101) to keep organizational data secure.
✅ You can print securely using Find-Me printing?

Fleming Staff

1Password & Secure Sharing at Fleming – Fleming provides tools to help you manage passwords and securely share sensitive data:

✅ 1Password: Free for all Fleming employees to generate and store complex passwords. You can also use 1Password to store one-time password (OTP) codes for shared accounts and monitor compromised credentials using WatchTower.
✅ Onetime Secret: Need to send a password or sensitive text? Use the Onetime Secret service to create secure, self-destructing links.