Protect critical systems and your data

It's easy to think of “your computer” as the only thing at stake when you click something you shouldn't. But across Purdue's labs, research facilities, and campus infrastructure, an enormous number of connected devices; sensors, lab equipment, building controls, specialized research instruments all sit on the same networks as everyday laptops. A single compromised device isn't just a personal inconvenience anymore; it can be the entry point for something that disrupts an entire lab, building, or research project.

Every device is part of a bigger system

This is the quiet reality of a modern research university: the coffee maker on the departmental Wi-Fi and the million-dollar imaging equipment down the hall may be more connected than they look. Keeping your own devices patched and updated isn't just personal hygiene — it closes doors that could otherwise let an attacker move sideways into systems that matter far beyond your own desk. And personal devices — phones, tablets, that laptop you also use for gaming — should stay off research networks entirely, where the stakes for a compromise are highest.

If something looks off, say something

A device that's suddenly running slow, restarting on its own, or behaving in ways you can't explain isn't just annoying — it can be an early warning sign. Reporting odd behavior early, even if it turns out to be nothing, gives PSS the chance to catch a problem while it's still small and contained.

A ransomware attack doesn't ask whether the file it's encrypting is a semester of data or a dissertation.

Back it up before you need it

Backups are one of the least exciting items on every security checklist and, when disaster strikes, it’s the most important one. Ransomware doesn't discriminate between a rough draft and years of irreplaceable research; it encrypts whatever it finds. A current backup, stored somewhere the ransomware itself can't reach, is the difference between a bad afternoon and a lost semester.

See it in person: Catch the Oct. 20 BTAA session “State of Critical Infrastructure” for the bigger picture.