On October 3rd, after a proclamation by President Biden designating October as “a time for the public and private sectors to work together to continue raising awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and equip the American people with the resources needed to be safer and more secure online,” the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officially kicked off Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
“To build a more resilient nation, everyone—from K through Gray—has a role to play, which is why our theme for this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month is ‘See Yourself in Cyber,’ said Jen Easterly, Director of CISA.
Throughout October, CISA, in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA), will focus on what it means to “See Yourself in Cyber” by highlighting the actions that all Americans can take to raise the baseline for cybersecurity across the country.
Cybersecurity Affects Everyone
Many people consider cybersecurity complicated and shy away from learning more about how to stay safe. However, the theme “See Yourself in Cyber” illustrates that it’s all about people, how they interact with technology, and the safeguards they employ to stay safe. Cybersecurity affects everyone, from children to seniors.
Cyber experts urge people to take part in the initiative and sign up for cybersecurity training to learn more about the threats and how to prevent attacks. Each person is responsible for protecting their little corner of the world. For example, even one employee within a company can help avoid a malicious attack by following cybersecurity best practices and, rather than clicking on a link within a suspicious email, report it to IT instead.
Tips to Protect Yourself
Although the threat landscape has evolved, and the bad guys are working overtime to break in, there are dozens of things you can do to keep them out. Some quick tips to protect yourself include:
- Never click a link from an email or social media post if you don’t know whom it came from. Learn the components of phishing emails so you won’t be caught.
- Always verify every email before opening it or taking action.
- Keep your hardware and software updated with the latest security patches.
- Turn on two-factor or multi-factor authentication on all your accounts/devices.
- Only use long, strong, unused passwords for online accounts. Consider using a password vault to create safe passwords and keep all of yours locked up.
- Install robust antivirus/anti-malware software on your computer and mobile devices.
- Be careful of clicking on ads on social media.
- Never give out personal information like your social security number or bank account details online or over the phone to unsolicited callers.
- Never share passwords with family or friends.
- Report phishing and other attacks to the authorities.
Consider a Career in Cybersecurity
Everyone plays a part in keeping our society safe from cybercriminals. However, have you considered a career in cybersecurity? There are more opportunities now than ever before. You could help be a part of the solution in a big way.
Choose from dozens of roles, like performing security audits or hacking systems to find vulnerabilities and helping companies close those holes. A cybersecurity career is rewarding and lucrative.
DMAC Security has been in the business for over 30 years, providing security services to individuals and companies to keep people, places, and things safe. We offer a complete training program to help get you certified, and we can then place you in a role with one of our current clients. Contact us today to learn more about how to See Yourself in Cyber.