October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), a program created to engage and educate public and private sector partners about the importance of staying safe and secure online through events and initiatives. During week one, AGA is helping to raise awareness about safe internet practices at home and in our communities. The internet has become a significant part of our daily lives – leaving us potentially vulnerable to cybercrimes.
The following are six best practices for preventing cyberattacks and protecting your private information:
- Lock down your login: Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, banking and social media. Strengthen online accounts and use strong authentication tools – like biometrics, security keys or a unique, one-time code through an app on your mobile device – whenever offered.
- Back it up: Protect your valuable work, music, photos and other digital information by making an electronic copy and storing it safely. If you have a copy of your data and your device falls victim to ransomware or other cyber threats, you will be able to restore the data from a backup.
- Personal information is like money. Value it. Protect it: Information about you, such as purchase history or location, has value – just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it is collected by apps, websites and all connected devices.
- Keep a clean machine: Keep all software on internet-connected devices – including personal computers, smartphones and tablets – current to reduce risk of infection from ransomware and malware.
- Pay attention to the Wi-Fi router in your home: Use a strong password to protect the device, keep it up to date and name it in a way that won’t let people know it’s in your house.
- Share with care: Think before posting about yourself and others online. Consider what a post reveals, who might see it and how it might affect you or others.
To learn more about online safety practices and NCSAM, visit https://staysafeonline.org/ncsam/.
As part of the month-long initiative, AGA will be posting weekly blog articles about cybersecurity topics, as well as daily content on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, as well as using the official hashtag: #Cyberaware. Let us know how your organization is informing utility customers about how to stay safe online in the comments section below.
