With how accessible the digital world has become, it’s easy to overlook typical defenses for cybersecurity threats. That’s why each October we participate in national Cybersecurity Awareness Month – to serve as a reminder for the importance of protecting your information online.
While it’s easy to think that the safeguards we put in place are there to protect just us, that’s not the case with how interconnected our online footprint is with others nowadays. As individuals, the actions we do – or don’t – take have the potential to negatively impact us, our families, our community, and our employers.
By using the same password for all your accounts, you’re making it easy for hackers to gain access to all your profiles rather than just one of them.
By having an unsecure Wi-Fi network at home, every person that connects to is at risk of having their information taken.
By clicking phishing emails on a work laptop, you can provide hacker access to your entire company’s network.
There’s no way to guarantee that your information will always stay 100 percent safe online, especially with how savvy hackers are in today’s age. But by implementing the proper safety features, you’re at a lower risk and can continue to live your life online with less worry.
Here are some of the quickest and easiest ways to protect yourself and those around you online:
Passwords – Ensure that you’re using strong, random, and unique passwords for each of your accounts. A password manager is a great tool to help keep all these straight.
2FA – When possible, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts for a double layer of security.
Stay Vigilant – Before you click on a link, open an attachment, or respond to a text or email, make sure you know and trust the sender. Double check that it’s their correct email – not a clone that’s spelt incorrectly or from a different domain.
Software – Make sure your software stays up to date so you’re less vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. If it’s easier, turn on auto-updates for your apps and devices.
While these things may sound redundant, it’s easy to overlook them. But taking a few extra minutes to enhance your cybersecurity – as well protecting those around you – is better than the alternative.
How We Can Help
For a company to stay fully secure online, it takes effort and safekeeping practices from all sides – the organization, the technology and software used, and the individual employees. We can help from each angle – by implementing new and stronger security features, making sure your software is updated and bug free, and training employees on safe practices.
If you’re ready to bring in additional help to protect your company and employees, give us a call and our IT team will get to work for you!
To learn more about Cybersecurity Awareness Month, visit the CISA website.
