10/21/13
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
October marks the 10th anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
The goal of National Cyber Security Awareness Month is to raise awareness and educate about cyber security, increase the resiliency of the nation and its cyber infrastructure, and offer tips on how to keep your personal information safe. The 10th anniversary campaign has dedicated each week of this month to a different cyber security issue:
- October 1-4: Launch of 10th Annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Cyber Security is Our Shared Responsibility
- October 7-11: Being Mobile: Online Safety and Security
- October 14-18: Cyber Workforce and the Next Generation of Cyber Leaders
- October 21-25: Cyber Crime
- October 28-31: Critical Infrastructure and Cyber Security.
The Tennessee Department of Safety has offered the following tips for Tennesseans to keep safe online:
- Make passwords long and strong: Combine capital and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols to create a more secure password.
- Don’t share passwords with anyone!
- Keep a clean machine. Your operating system, browser, and other critical software are optimized by installing regular updates.
- Use a pop-up blocker (the links in pop-up ads are notorious sources of malware)
- Before you enter your personal and financial information to make an online transaction, look for signs that the site is secure.
- Maintain an open dialogue with your family, friends, and community about Internet safety.
- Limit the amount of personal information you post online, and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.
- Be cautious about what you receive or read online. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
For more information on what you can do to practice cyber security during the month and throughout the year visit Stop.Think.Connect.