More Tips For Staying Safe Online

Posted on October 24, 2023November 9, 2023 by Jennifer Anderson

 Held every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaboration between government and private industry to empower everyone in the protection of their personal data from digital forms of crime.

In the previous blog, we discussed the importance of keeping passwords secure. Below you’ll find more tips on how to stay safe while you’re online.

RECOGNIZE AND REPORT PHISHING

Phishing attacks have become an increasingly common problem for individuals and organizations of all sizes. They can also be very difficult to spot. It’s important everyone stop and think before clicking on a link or opening an attachment and know how to spot red flags. Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 guidance provides the tools needed to recognize and report phishing to their organization or email provider.

DEALING WITH PHISHING

Phishing occurs when criminals try to get you to open harmful links or attachments that could steal personal information and/or infect devices. Phishing messages or “bait” usually come in the form of an email, text, direct message on social media or phone call. These messages are often designed to look like they come from a trusted person or organization to get you to respond. The good news is you can avoid the phish hook and keep your accounts secure!

FOLLOW THESE TIPS:

1. Recognize: Look for these common signs:
   • Urgent or alarming language.
   • Requests to send personal and/or financial information.
   • Poor writing, misspellings or unusual language.
   • Incorrect email addresses, domain names or links (e.g. amazan.com)
2. Report: If you suspect phishing, report the phish to protect yourself and others.
   • Know your organization’s guidance for reporting phishing. If your organization offers it, you may find options to report via the “report spam” or “phish alert” button in your email toolbar or settings.
   • For personal email accounts, you may be able to report spam or phishing to your email provider by right-clicking on the message.
3. Delete: Delete the message. Don’t reply or click on any attachment or link, including any “unsubscribe” link. Just. Delete. It.

 

UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE

According to NCA, approximately 2 in 5 survey respondents say they either “sometimes,” “rarely” or “never” install software updates. One of the easiest ways to protect accounts and information is to keep software and applications updated. Updates are periodically released to fix software problems and provide security patches for known vulnerabilities. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, don’t hit the “remind me later” button. Take action to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

SOFTWARE TIPS AND ADVICE

Keeping software up to date is an easy way improve your digital security. For added convenience, turn on the automatic updates in your device or application security settings! Set it and forget it!

KEEP SOFTWARE UP TO DATE WITH THESE STEPS:

1. Check for notifications: Devices and applications will usually notify you when the latest software updates become available, but it’s important to check periodically as well. Software updates include devices’ operating systems, programs and apps. It’s important to install ALL updates, especially for web browsers and antivirus software, or apps with financial or sensitive information.
2. Install updates as soon as possible: When a software update becomes available, especially critical updates, be sure to install them as soon as possible. Attackers won’t wait, and you shouldn’t either!
3. Turn on automatic updates: With automatic updates, devices will install updates as soon as they become available. It’s that easy! Turn on the automatic updates feature, look in the device settings, usually under Software or Security.

Using these tips will greatly enhance your security and protect you and your data from cybercrime. Stay safe and be vigilant!