Since 2004, October has been recognized as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM).
The initiative for the recognition was spearheaded by the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During the month of October, those government agencies are joined by the nonprofit National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) in encouraging Americans to be vigilant about computer and internet use.
Now is a good time to review our attitudes, policies and plans surrounding cybersecurity. Regardless of what we do from an IT infrastructure standpoint, organizations must understand that one of the keys to a successful cybersecurity strategy is to ensure that employees from the executive suite down through all levels of the organization be aware of the responsibility they share in supporting the organization’s security efforts. To do so they must understand how to safely interact with the internet, operate applications safely on their computing devices, and be aware of the current cybersecurity landscape, including the types of threats that they may come across on an everyday basis.
STOP, THINK, CONNECT
Fortunately, statistics show that 92 percent of young people who go online think that keeping the internet secure is a responsibility we all share, up from 84 percent in 2015. Below are some good tips provided by the NCSA on their NCSAM website anyone and everyone can use to incorporate basic security measures in their online activities.
- Lock down your login. Use the strongest authentication tools available. Some of these are biometrics (touch, iris recognition, etc.), second factor authentication and randomized passwords from password managers. Personal accounts including email, banking, social media and employer data are too important to leave to simple usernames and passwords that we create alone.
- Keep your device operating system updated. Ensure all internet connected devices, including PCs, smartphones and tablets, are up to date to reduce the risk of infection from malware.
- When in doubt, throw it out. Cybercriminals often use links in emails or on websites to steal your personal information. Even if you know the source, if something looks suspicious or you weren’t expecting it, delete it.
- Share with care. Think before posting about yourself and others. Consider what a post reveals, who might see it and how it might be perceived … both now AND in the future.
- Own your online presence. Set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It is okay to limit how and with whom you share information.
For more information, tip sheets and tools you may want to include in a training and education campaign within your organization, visit the NCSA Resources website. Or, contact Tech Orchard for help formulating a comprehensive cybersecurity campaign as part of an overall mobility management and security strategy.
