Tag Archives: Cyber Security Awareness Month

Protecting Yourself Against a Cyberattack

Posted on by

The Top Three Things That Anyone Should Do to Help Protect Themselves Against a Cyberattack

The top three things that anyone should do to help protect themselves against a cyberattack.

  1. Incorporating multi-factor authenication (MFA)
  2. Understanding phishing and how to identify phishing attempts
  3. Discussing with colleagues, families and cyber professionals

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month

Posted on by

“Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.”

Cybersecurity Awareness Month was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry. Its objective is to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity across our Nation, ensuring that all Americans have the resources they need to be safer and more secure online.

You can make a difference during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Whether you have a minute, an hour or a day – or all month long – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance encourage that you check out ways you can participate and support Cybersecurity Awareness Month on social media, at home, at work or school and in the community.

#BeCyberSmart Tip: If you connect it, protect it. Outsmart cyberthreats by regularly updating your software.

Important Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Personal Information

  • Lock down your login: Fortify your online accounts by enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics, security keys or a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device. Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, banking and social media.
  • Make  your password a sentence: A strong password is a sentence that is at least 12 characters long. Focus on positive sentences or phrases that you like to think about and are easy to remember (for example, “I love country music.”). On many sites, you can even use spaces!
  • Unique account, unique password: Having separate passwords for every account helps to thwart cybercriminals. At a minimum, separate your work and personal accounts and make sure that your critical accounts have the strongest passwords. 
  • Write it down and keep it safe: Everyone can forget a password. Keep a list that’s stored in a safe, secure place away from your computer. You can alternatively use a service like a password manager to keep track of your passwords.
  • Don’t overshare on social media – Cyber criminals can learn all about you, social engineering, on social media! #BeCyberSmart and make it harder for them by avoiding posting real names, places you frequent and home, school and work locations.

 


 
Cyber Security Research Findings

These cybersecurity findings are derived from two national studies – a national survey on online behaviors and attitudes for the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG). The findings reveal that:

  • 93 percent of Americans believe their online actions can protect not only friends and family but also help to make the internet safer for everyone around the world.
  • 96 percent of Americans feel a personal responsibility to be safer and more secure online.
  • 61 percent believe that much of online safety and security falls under their personal control, and consistent with those feelings, 90 percent said they want to learn more about keeping safer on the Internet.
  • 48 percent feel their actions to stay safe and secure can have a positive impact on financial, economic, and national security of the country, indicating Americans are open to making the bridge between their own safety and the nation’s security.

Finally, when respondents were asked why they don’t always do all the things they can or should do to stay safer online, they said they simply lacked the information or knowledge, which was a surprising finding for researchers. Moreover, 12 percent said online safety was too expensive and 5 percent said they were too busy to take the extra step.

STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

References:

  1. https://staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/get-involved/
  2. https://www.stopthinkconnect.org/research-surveys/research-findings