Cyber Security Awareness Month
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a global initiative to raise awareness and educate people on how to protect themselves and their organizations from cyber threats.
During this month, Technology Services will be promoting key behaviours to encourage everyone to take control of their online lives. There are all kinds of ways to stay safe and secure online but even just practicing these cybersecurity basics can make a huge difference.
The advice from Technology Services is to do the following:
- Slow down when reviewing email.
Phishing is one of the most common ways that cybercriminals try to trick you into giving up your personal or financial information. Be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid clicking on links, downloading attachments or scanning QR codes that have been sent from unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message. Click here for more information related to phishing and how to report a phishing email.
- Double your login protection.
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts and devices to ensure that the only person who has access to your account is you. Use it for all online services, such as email, banking, social media, and any other services that require logging in.
- Be careful what you share on social media.
Cybercriminals can use your social media posts to gather information about you, such as your location, interests, hobbies, and contacts. They can also use this information to impersonate you or target you with scams. Limit who can see your posts and avoid sharing personal details that could compromise your security or identity.
- Use strong passwords and a password manager.
A password manager can help you create and store unique passwords for different accounts and prevent you from reusing passwords that could be easily guessed or stolen.
- Update your software.
Software updates often include security patches that fix vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. Make sure you install updates as soon as they are available or enable automatic updates if possible.