OIT Quarterly Security Update: August 2026 Edition

Securing the Herd: SMU Quarterly Security Update

Hello Mustangs,

I’m Corrina Taylor, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Chief Information Security Officer at SMU. In my first weeks on campus, I’ve been inspired by the incredible work happening across our community—and I’m eager to partner with you in keeping it safe.

My goal is to build a security program that is approachable, supportive, and woven into the fabric of SMU. This newsletter will be one way to stay connected, share updates, and offer practical tips to help protect your digital life. In this first issue, you’ll find updates on upcoming phishing simulations, guidance around a recently reported password breach, and how authentication will be changing in the coming year.

Staying secure, one Mustang at a time.

Corrina Taylor
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

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Corrina Taylor Joins SMU as Chief Information Security Officer

OIT is pleased to announce the appointment of Corrina Taylor as the new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for SMU. Corrina joined SMU in late May, bringing with her nearly a decade of cybersecurity experience rooted in strategic leadership and technical expertise. Read more about one of our newest mustangs.
Don’t Get Hooked: Phishing Simulations Coming Soon

This October, SMU is rolling out a series of initiatives as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month to help students, faculty, and staff stay safe online — both on campus and at home, including some phishing simulations designed to help our community recognize and avoid email-based scams.
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What you should know about the 16 billion passwords data breach

With over 16 billion passwords possibly being exposed in a massive data breach, we talked with our CISO about the breach and ways you can protect yourself.
OIT Sets Sights on a Passwordless Future

While we are not there yet, Passwordless authentication is the next step beyond Duo for SMU. This method offers increased convenience and security over traditional two-factor authentication and doesn’t expire.
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