Information Security Incident Reporting

Report an Incident

Learn how to report an incident if you experience or are aware of any of the following:

  • icon of person working with a laptopI've received an electronic threat to my safety or someone else's safety
  • icon of person working with a laptopI've been identified and targeted for online abuse, harassment, and intimidation
  • icon of a laptop with an alert symbolI've found a technology vulnerability or coding bug in a Harvard system
  • file with security shieldI've found or placed sensitive, unsecured Harvard data where it shouldn't be
  • icon of smart phone with a location symbolI've lost possession of an electronic device that contains Harvard data
  • phishing email iconI've received a suspicious email that might be phishing
  • account compromise I believe someone has stolen my account or password

How to Report an IT Security Incident

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Report a Threat to a Person

If you or someone else has received a threat to your safety.

Open a case with the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD):

Call the Harvard University Police Department at 617 495-1215. If urgent, call 617 495-1212

 

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Report Online Abuse, Harassment, and Intimidation

Members of the Harvard community can become targets for online harassment, in the form of "trolling," "doxxing," "cyberbullying," and more. These situations can be very intense, alarming, and disruptive to an individual. Harvard provides this document as a resource for community members who have been identified and targeted for online abuse, harassment, and intimidation.

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Report a System Vulnerability

If you are aware of a vulnerability in a Harvard system, please follow these instructions, Harvard University Responsible Vulnerability Reporting.

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Data Exposure

If you see sensitive Harvard data on an unsecured server or posted publicly, or you believe you may have used an unsecure system to collect or transmit sensitive Harvard data.

Open an IT Ticket: Submit a Ticket Online or call 617 495-7777

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Report a Lost Electronic Device

Follow these steps:

  1. Open an IT Ticket

    Submit a Ticket Online

    or call 617 495-7777

  2. Open a case with HUPD

    Call 617 495-1215

    If urgent, call 617 495-1212

  3. If you are an employee and the device is Harvard-managed, notify your manager.

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Phishing Message

Forward phishing emails to: phishing@harvard.edu.

When we receive a suspected phishing email, we check it out to determine the risk. If it is a phishing attack, we may take any of the following steps:

  • Breaking dangerous links so they don't connect to unsafe webpages
  • Blocking malicious files from being delivered to to inboxes in the future
  • Escalating the report to our security operations team to investigate compromised systems or accounts
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Do you have a non-urgent Information Security question or concern?

Find your School-Based Information Security Officer below to contact them directly.

School PrivSec Officers

Harvard Business School

Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Harvard Divinity School

Harvard Law School

Harvard Medical School

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Harvard Graduate School of Design

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Harvard Kennedy School

Harvard School of Public Health

Harvard Division of Continuing Education