October 2020: Cybersecurity Awareness Month


Read this week's article: Remote Working Tips

Other weekly links:  Securing Your Smart Home, Securing your Health Data, Future Innovations

 


Be a Cybersecurity Champion

 As part of the Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champions Program, the University’s Information Security Office is proud to promote National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The program is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme of ‘Do Your Part #BeCyberSmart’. The program aims to empower individuals and organizations to own their role in protecting their part of cyberspace. Throughout the month, we will focus on the overarching message, ‘If you Connect it, Protect it’ by highlighting cybersecurity in areas such as general security hygiene, remote security and connected devices. We hope you will join our efforts to promote awareness by sharing this information with others in your department.

 Online safety and security are shared responsibilities; together we can positively affect our online community.


FACTS AND FIGURES

  • Hackers attack every 39 seconds, on average 2,244 times a day. (University of Maryland)
  • 56% of Americans don’t know what steps to take in the event of a data breach. (Varonis)
  • 46% of organizations received their malware via email. (Verizon 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report)

 

Simple actions to improve your online security:

  • Treat personal information like money – value it and be cautious about how apps and websites collect it.
  • Regularly update the software on your devices, including PCs, smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, to reduce the risk of infection from malware.
  • Talk with your family, friends, and co-workers about the importance of Internet safety.
  • Control and limit who can see personal information online by checking the privacy and security settings on accounts and apps. Do not enter personal information into social media sites that is not required or necessary.
  • Be cautious about what you receive or read online; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
     
     
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