September 30, 2024

Mandatory cybersecurity training begins Oct. 14

The university’s cybersecurity training for faculty and staff will be available, starting on Monday, Oct. 14. The training is mandatory for all employees listed below:

  • SIU Carbondale faculty and staff, including civil service, administrative/professional, extra help and volunteers.
  • SIU president’s office staff members.
  • All SIU System office staff members.

The deadline to complete the training is Nov. 8

Employees with the SIU School of Medicine in both Carbondale and Springfield are exempt from this training; they have a separate cybersecurity training course to complete. Also exempt are graduate assistants and student workers at SIU Carbondale as well as employees on a leave of absence.

Although cybersecurity training is mandatory for SIU Carbondale faculty and staff, certain situations may require additional accommodations, or employees may have retired or otherwise left the university but still have an siu.edu account. To streamline the process for submitting accommodation requests and reporting employment changes, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) has introduced an Exceptions Request Form for this year’s training.

The form can be used to:

  • Request accessibility accommodations.
  • Notify OIT of a leave of absence.
  • Report that an employee no longer works at the university.

The cybersecurity training will be available in D2L. The course includes a knowledge pretest option, allowing participants to test out of most knowledge modules. However, there are test modules that are mandatory.

The Office of Information Technology reminds everyone that the entire campus community has a role in maintaining SIU’s security against cybercrime — knowing the preventative measures outlined in this course will enhance that security. It only takes one mistake, made by one person, to open the door for criminal activity. Once a criminal has access, it can cost you, others and the university more than just time and money – a single breach can destroy hard earned trust.

To mitigate risk, this training provides users with the information and resources needed to be diligent and secure. Together, we can protect the university and the campus community from cyber threats.

The experts in SalukiTech are available to answer questions about the course training requirements or assist with any technical difficulties, if needed. Contact SalukiTech at 618-453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu.