August 2023 IS Newsletter

Back to School with CrowdStrike and LastPass

As the academic year begins, this is the perfect time to ensure you are using two great cybersecurity tools: CrowdStrike and LastPass. Both are available free through the University.

CrowdStrike is the University provided security sensor and antivirus that is required to be installed on all staff, faculty, and student computers to connect to the University network.

CrowdStrike is a next-generation anti-virus product that uses a combination of artificial intelligence, behavioral detection, machine learning algorithms, and exploit mitigation, to protect against known and unknown threats. This means that CrowdStrike will protect you against many of the newest kinds of attacks, such as ransomware and unauthorized remote access.

Information Services installs CrowdStrike on all University-managed systems. Students must install CrowdStrike to access the UR wireless or wired networks. Students should uninstall any current antivirus that may be running on their computers to prevent installation issues and system performance problems prior to installing CrowdStrike.

To encourage the use of strong password security for the University community, Information Services provides LastPass, a secure password manager. It is a digital vault that keeps your passwords organized and safe. LastPass can create secure passwords, fill out online forms, alert you about weak passwords, and more.

Students, staff, and faculty can sign up for a free LastPass Premium account if you are actively enrolled at or employed by the University.  This premium account can also be extended for up to five family members, allowing you to share this great security tool with those closest to you.

LastPass Enterprise is available to faculty and staff for storing and managing University account passwords. One benefit of a LastPass Enterprise account is that the Help Desk can assist faculty and staff who are unable to log in to their LastPass account.  

Information about CrowdStrike and LastPass can be found on SpiderTechNet. You can also contact Information Security at infosec@richmond.edu or the Help Desk at 804-287-6400 with any questions about CrowdStrike or LastPass.

Do your part, #BeCyberSmart