Welcome to #CyberSecMonth 2018 and #StirCyberSec, our online cyber-security campaign.
#CyberSecMonth runs for the entire month of October, each week focusing on a different topic. The themes are:
Week 1: Oct. 1-5 – Practice Basic Cyber Hygiene
The theme seeks to assist the public in establishing and maintaining daily routines, checks and general behaviour required to stay safe online.
Week 2: Oct. 8-12 – Expand your Digital Skills and Education
Transform your skills and security know-how with the latest technologies.
Week 3: Oct. 15-19 – Recognise Cyber Scams
The theme aims to educate the general public on how to identify deceiving content in order to keep both themselves and their finances safe online.
Week 4: Oct. 22-26 – Emerging Technologies and Privacy
Stay tech wise and safe with the latest emerging technologies
Follow our #StirCyberSec campaign on Twitter and/or Facebook.
Week 1: Practice Basic Cyber Hygiene
The theme this week is basic cyber hygiene. We will be sharing resources to help you establish and maintain daily routines, checks and general behaviour required to stay safe online.
Day 1: Have you been Pwned?
If one of your online accounts has been hacked – often called being ‘pwned’ – then it’s important not to panic. Follow a few simple steps and you can check the scale of the damage and get your account security under control. Data leaks happen – it’s one of the unfortunate side effects of the modern, internet connected world. And often, these have nothing to do with you, the user, being irresponsible. Companies can suffer embarrassing data breaches – either through having their servers hacked, human error, or staff misconduct.
Firstly, it helps to know if your personal details have been compromised online. The best-known website for checking if your email address, or any account associated with it, has been hacked, is called Have I Been Pwned. To find out if your own email address has been affected by a data breach, you’ll need to enter your email address here – don’t worry, there’s no security threat to doing so, and you’ll never be asked to enter a password or other personal data. While the results may initially fill you with dread – it will hopefully spur you into bolstering your online defences and alter your behaviour.
Day 2: Passwords
Passwords are paramount to protecting yourself online. In most cases, they’re the only thing stopping others from accessing your private data. You can’t use ‘beefstew’ as a password, it’s not Stroganoff. Use three random words.
Day 3: Updates and Anti-virus
Protect your devices and information by keeping software up-to-date and using anti-virus software. Anti-virus software is essential to protect your computer from viruses and other types of malware, such as ransomware and spyware. Don’t ignore prompts on your computer, smartphone or tablet that notify you that a new update is available. Along with new features, updates contain vital security fixes to help protect your devices from cyber-criminals.
Day 4: Back-up your Data
Forget the screen and keyboard – your files are the most important part of your computer. Backing up your files securely is one of the most important things you can do, since losing precious photos or important documents can be heart-breaking. We explain the various ways you can go about backing up files on your computer.
Day 5: Online Shopping
From the convenience of making purchases at your fingertips and next-day delivery to getting great deals and the endless catalogue of purchasable items, online shopping has only grown in popularity. While the increased availability of online shopping is convenient, it also makes it more lucrative for scammers to trick buyers into paying for goods they won’t receive or obtain their personal information for financial gain. So, what can you do about it?
Join us on Twitter and/or Facebook to find out more.