October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
October is National Cyber Security Awareness month. We live in a world that is more connected than ever before. The Internet touches almost all aspects of everybody’s lives. In fact, most of us depend on it for everyday living.
Whether it is online shopping, paying bills, or even just browsing the web, your personal information is out there. That’s why every year NCSAM strives to educate the public and raise awareness about cybersecurity.
Here are some helpful tips to follow when it comes to protecting yourself online:
• Don’t ever say “It won’t happen to me”. Every time you log into the internet you are an attractive target for hackers.
• When setting up passwords, make sure to use a strong mix of characters, numbers and symbols.
• Never share your passwords with others.
• Never leave your devices unattended. If you need to leave your computer, phone or tablet, be sure to set up a lock for the device until you return.
• Be careful when clicking on attachments or links in email. These links can be spam.
• Sensitive browsing, such as banking or shopping, should only be done on a device that belongs to you, on a network that you trust. If you are doing any of these on a friend’s computer, public computer or a restaurants free WiFi, your data could be copied and stolen.
• Be sure that your devices are protected with anti-virus software.
• Watch what you share on social networks. Criminals can befriend you and easily gain access to a shocking amount of personal information.
• Always monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity. As soon as you see something strange, it could be a sign that you may have been hacked.
Stay safe while surfing the web. You never know when you could be the next target for a hacker.
