Five Tips for Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! As lead by CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), Cybersecurity Awareness Month is all about spreading the word about best cybersecurity practices, and ensuring each of us does our part to keep our organizations—and the people that work with them—safe and secure.

By now, you might be aware of key steps you can take to protect your data and devices, as well as the data and devices of those connected to your networks. But in the spirit of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here are five things you can do right now:

• Update your software: Installing the latest software updates on all of your devices ensures these devices are running the latest security patches, so they will be protected from any known security vulnerabilities. As such, make sure to update your devices whenever a new update is available. Don’t defer these updates. Consider turning on automatic updates for any devices that support the feature.
• Use strong and unique passwords: All of your passwords for all of your accounts should be strong and unique. Never reuse passwords: If a password is discovered in a breach, bad actors will try it against other accounts you might have. Each of those passwords should be strong, as well. Remember to use enough characters (at least 16) with things like uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Use a password manager: You don’t need to remember all of these strong and unique passwords yourself. A good password manager, like 1Password, Bitwarden, and Keeper, can securely store all of your passwords, and automatically enter them when you need them. Some can generate strong and unique passwords on your behalf, as well.
• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): Anytime an account supports MFA, use it. If someone manages to learn your password, it will be useless without the accompanied MFA code. Passkeys are a great option here as well.
• Keep an eye out for phishing: Be very cautious when opening email and text messages. If a message appears odd, assume it is spam. Never click on links in strange or suspicious messages. If you suspect spam, report it.