26 October 2023

Still clicked on that suspicious link? Can’t access your documents now? Have you accidentally circulated a mail with personal data? In that case you’ve probably  experienced a security or privacy incident. Don’t hesitate to get help. Wherever there are people, there’ll be mistakes.  It’s always best to report an incident to the ISSC Helpdesk straight away.

Even if you’re not sure, still report it!

If you are affected by a security or privacy incident, the first thing to remember is to stay calm. If you’re overcome by panic, ask a colleague or your supervisor to help: it is important to report an incident to the ISSC Helpdesk as fast as possible. As it’s an urgent situation, you can best call them via 071-5278888. If you aren’t able to phone, send an email via helpdesk@issc.leidenuniv.nl.

We realise that you can’t be sure straight away whether you have been involved in an incident, but if you’re in any doubt at all, it’s always better to report it. The ISSC can then investigate whether any action needs to be taken. The quicker you report it, the less serious the impact of the incident will be. There’s absolutely no need to be embarrassed about reporting an incident unnecessarily: for the ISSC it’s not important who makes the report, but what it’s about. Another point to bear in mind is that we as an organisation can learn from your reports: they give us a picture of the possible threats for Leiden University and help us to respond appropriately to any future incidents.

Phishing or ransomware: Do you recognise these attacks?  

To have a better idea of when you are dealing with an incident and when you should report it, it’s important to recognise what an incident is. We explained in an earlier Cybersecurity Month how you can recognise two common incidents: phishing emails and ransomware attacks.

In this video Granny Smith explains how important it is to report an incident, or a suspected incident.