As we reach the midpoint of 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on our cyber security journey this year. Below are some key themes we’ve seen at Flinders in recent times, and how you can help keep the University safe:

Breaches from Exposed Credentials   

Many staff and students have utilised their Flinders email and passwords across multiple external accounts, contributing to security breaches. In 2024 alone, over 2,000 instances of exposed credentials were identified, leading to a cyber incident. This is an important reminder to always use strong, unique passwords and enable Single Sign On (SSO) and Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) where possible.

Increasing AI Usage   

While AI brings exciting opportunities, it can also be vulnerable to attack, presenting security challenges. Your best defence is ensuring that AI systems comply with data protection regulations and informing the Flinders cyber security team about any new AI engagements.

Vendor Relationships  

Effective vendor management is crucial to keeping our systems secure. When utilising any external systems, it is critical to ensure that all software is supported, and that IDS is notified of any changes to system usage or vendor relationships that may affect our ability to keeping you safe.  

Adapting to the rapidly changing digital landscape is essential to protect ourselves, our colleagues, and our students, and learning from these events is crucial to enhancing the online security of the Flinders Community. Thank you for your support!

Keeping You Safe is a monthly series offering staff practical cyber security tips to stay safe.