Abstract

The United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point had a problem with some cadets clicking on suspicious attachments and embedded links, significantly affecting network performance and resource availability. West Point information technology leadership needed a way to increase e-mail security awareness in hopes of maintaining a strong security posture. In this article, the author discusses West Point Carronade, an e-mail security awareness exercise that he designed and developed as a proof-of-concept response to this need to make sure cadets were practicing good e-mail security. This exercise helped foster and strengthen online security practices among cadets. The author suggests that the goal of any security awareness exercise should be to make security an attitude within the organization, campus, or university. Periodic launching of these types of awareness exercises will help minimize network downtime and maximize network performance as students become more judicious about handling e-mails. (Contains 1 figure and 2 endnotes.)

Citation

Ferguson, A.J. (2005). Fostering E-Mail Security Awareness: The West Point Carronade. Educause Quarterly, 28(1), 54-57. Retrieved September 1, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/103686/.

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Keywords

• Armed Forces
• Computer Security
• educational technology
• Electronic Mail
• information technology
• internet
• leadership
• Military Schools