Cybersecurity is a team sport
https://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2026/05/21/cybersecurity-is-a-team-sport/
Publish Date: 2026-05-21 09:23:00
Source Domain: hub.jhu.edu
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Published
May 21, 2026
The steady volume of phishing attempts, spam emails, and impersonated phone calls coming into the Johns Hopkins ecosystem is a reminder of how relentless today’s threat environment has become. Although IT can catch many of the bad actors before they reach their targets, it’s important that everyone remain vigilant. Developing good cybersecurity habits is part of how the entire university community can keep its work and its people safe.
The problematic messages landing in JHU inboxes are often well-written, well-timed, and tailored to the university environment. A few simple checks will catch most attempts before they cause harm. Before you click on or reply to a message, or respond to a caller, ask yourself:
- Is the request urgent, threatening, or unusually emotional? Attackers rely on pressure.
- Does the sender’s address match the organization it claims to be from? Hover over the name to see the real email address.
- Is the link going where it says it is going? Hover before you click and look at the full URL.
- Does the message use a generic greeting, odd grammar, or formatting that does not match prior emails from that person?
- Am I being asked for a password or a one-time code? Johns Hopkins IT will never ask you to share your password or multifactor authentication code.
Strong cybersecurity is mostly the sum of small, repeatable habits. Keep these tips in mind:
- DON’T send passwords or any sensitive information over email.
- DON’T click on “verify your account” or “login” links on any email.
- DON’T reply, click on links, or open attachments in suspicious email.
- DON’T call a phone number in an unsolicited email or give sensitive data to a caller.
- DON’T accept a Microsoft Teams chat request…
