October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month – an opportunity to ensure that every American has the resources they need to stay safe and secure online and protected from cyber threats. Throughout the month we will bring you more information about cyber threats and simple techniques for enhancing your personal cybersecurity. Here are our key themes this month for securing your personal information online.
Using strong passwords and a password manager
If you’re like most people, you may be using the same password for most of your accounts—and that’s not safe. If one password gets stolen because of a breach, it can be used it to gain access to all your accounts and your sensitive information. But don’t worry, password managers are an easy solution to this problem! A password manager is software created to manage all your online credentials like usernames and passwords. It stores them in a safe, encrypted database, and also generates new passwords when needed. Find out how to get started with Passwords, Safe and Easy.
Multi-factor authentication
We all know that passwords have their problems. A better solution is multi-factor authentication, a security measure that requires anyone logging into an account to navigate a two-step process to prove their identity. It makes it twice as hard for criminals to access an online account. When it’s available, always turn it on. It’s easy to do and greatly increases your security. Read more about why MFA is a “Must Have” for Protecting Yourself Online.
Keep your software updated
People don’t like change, but software change is continual. Every time a problem pops up, users are eager for a fix, so most software companies send out updates regularly. Always install the new version when updates become available. Don’t delay! These updates fix general software problems and patch security flaws that criminals could use to get in. If you can, make the updates automatic. Close the Window of opportunity that the bad actors have to get into your system.
Recognize and report “phishing” messages
If you’re unsure who an email or a text message is from— do not respond and do not click on any links or attachments found in that message. Reach out to the sender with a phone call if you think you may know them. Use the “report phish” or “report spam” option, and forward phishy text messages to 7726 (SPAM) so your wireless provider can better block them. Educate yourself on recognizing fraudulent text messages.
For information on bank related phishing scams, visit our Banks NEVER Ask That! page.
For more security tips, visit our Security Center.