Cybersecurity Weekly

  We all like to post online to show what we’re up to so others can see — for example, vacation pictures. But all this can give strangers a lot of information about us. OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) is the process of collecting information that is already public. Hackers can use OSINT to: Guess your passwords. Find out where you live or work. Know when you are not home. Send fake messages that look real. Examples of oversharing that can put you at risk: Posting a picture of your car with the license plate visible. Sharing your pet’s name (often used in passwords). Announcing travel plans before you go. Posting photos with work ID badges in the background. How to stay safe: Check and update your privacy settings regularly. Don’t post your location in real time. Keep birthdays, phone numbers, and addresses private. Use strong passwords that don’t include personal details. Remember: Once you post something online, it can stay there fo...

  Hi everyone!  Welcome back to Cyber Secure Weekly Blog . This week, we’re talking about something big that happened right here in Minnesota  a real cyberattack on the City of St. Paul . What Happened? In late July 2025, the city of St. Paul was hit by a cyberattack. Hackers broke into the city’s computer systems. It wasn’t just a glitch — it was a serious attack by people who knew what they were doing. To protect the city, officials had to shut down internet, emails, and Wi-Fi in city buildings like libraries and offices. City workers had to go back to pen and paper! Who Responded? Because this attack was so serious, the Minnesota National Guard’s cyber team was called in. This is the first time they’ve been used like this inside the state. The FBI and FEMA are also helping investigate. The goal: find out who did this and make sure it doesn’t happen again. What Services Were Affected?  Public Wi-Fi stopped working City employees couldn’t access emails or sys...