This October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This time is dedicated for the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. Over the years it has grown into a collaborative effort between government and industry to enhance cybersecurity awareness, encourage actions by the public to reduce online risk, and generate discussion on cyber threats on a national and global scale.
As shadows lengthen and the air grows chill, remember cyber threats are lurking, ready to strike. Here are three spine-tingling tales to keep you vigilant:
The Phantom Phisher: A seemingly innocent email lures you in, but one click and your data is stolen by a ghostly hacker. Always verify before you click!
The Malware Mummy: An ancient virus awakens from a harmless-looking attachment, causing chaos. Keep your software updated to avoid this curse.
The Ransomware Revenant: A chilling message demands ransom for your encrypted files. Regular backups and strong security measures can exorcise this digital demon.
Stay Safe Tips:
- Be Suspicious: Don’t trust unknown emails or links. Be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message.
- Update Often: Patch vulnerabilities with regular updates. Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check for updates if automatic updates are unavailable.
- Backup Regularly: Protect your data from loss.
- Use Strong Passwords: Strong passwords are long, random and unique and include all four-character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create strong passwords for your accounts.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): You need more than a password to protect your online accounts; enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable MFA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media, and financial accounts.
Stay secure and have a spook-tacular Halloween!