October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
by Jon Lober | NOC Technology
Take some time to protect your digital assets.
Though we cannot advise you on how to celebrate all of the scintillating holidays happening in October (National Produce Misting Day anyone?), we do want to invite you to observe one of them along with us – Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
The
National Cybersecurity Alliance and the
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are celebrating 20 years of keeping us all just a little bit safer through Cybersecurity Awareness month. This year, the cybersecurity community is focusing on
four key behaviors that can make an enormous difference in the risk profile of businesses and individuals across the country.
1. Use strong passwords and a password manager.
Password1 will not cut it any more. However Q$Tda42%b1!xy145Fl10 is also really hard to remember (and no, you should not write it down on a post-it note near your keyboard). Enter password managers. These important software solutions help you generate and keep track of strong passwords. You can learn more about password security in our recent post.
2. Turn on multifactor authentication (aka MFA or 2FA).
Even better than a password is a passkey. You likely already use MFA to access online banking or financial accounts. Using a text message, email, or (best of all) a dedicated authenticator app to validate a sign-in is the easiest step you can take to secure your accounts with one of the biggest payoffs.
3. Recognize and report phishing.
We spend a lot of time harping on the importance of recognizing and avoiding phishing attacks. Their prevalence means that they are a constant threat to everyone with an email account. You can learn more about how to protect yourself by perusing the “Phishing Reports” in the cybersecurity section of our blog.
4. Update software.
Outdated software is often full of holes that provide easy entry points for hackers into your business network. Keeping it updated makes sure that you have the most recent and secure version of the software that keeps your business running.
How can you celebrate cybersecurity awareness month?
Here at NOC, we are all in for cybersecurity! Here’s how you can celebrate with us.
1. Win a cooler.
Because phishers shouldn’t have all the fun, we’re pulling one from the hacker handbook. However, instead of losing your identity, you can win free stuff!
2. Dark Web Search (5 slots available).
Schedule some time with our Service Desk Manager, Nathan Hooker to find out if your personal information has been stolen and is circulating in the nether regions of the internet.
3. Refresh your passwords.
When was the last time you updated your important passwords (and not just by adding a dollar sign to the end)?
4. Update your software.
Reward yourself with a few minutes of rest from work by updating your software. Take the time to check and see if your OS and key software are set to auto-update.
5. Report phishing.
Don’t just be a passive target of phishing attacks, start to fight back by reporting phishing to the authorities, email providers, and spoofed companies. Learn how here.
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