Every year since October 2003 has been recognized as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).This effort was brought to life through a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance to raise cyber security awareness across the country and to empower citizens, businesses, government and schools to improve their cyber security preparedness.
Throughout October, I will be posting these blogs to promote cybersecurity awareness at TEAMHealth. I will cover topics to raise awareness about technology-related threats and common security concerns and provide recommendations and tips to assist you to stay safer and more secure online. This week’s topic is Online Safety and Security.
Online Safety and Security
We go online almost every day, and no browser, app, or device is perfectly secure, so it’s important to learn safe browsing habits and practice them every day. Here are some tips to help your end users be more safe and secure online, whether they’re browsing, shopping, or gaming.
When you are reading e-mail or browsing online, be on the lookout for suspicious links and deceptive web pages, which are major sources of malware. Also be careful when selecting browser plugins, apps, or other downloadable files since they can introduce new vulnerabilities. Here are some suggestions to make your day-to-day online browsing more productive, safe, and secure.
- Keep your browser software up-to-date. Be sure to install antivirus updates and regularly check for and install browser plugin (e.g., Adobe Flash and Java) updates.
- Be more secure! Make sure a URL includes HTTPS before entering any personal information.
- When in doubt, ignore. Don’t click on pop-up windows or extraneous ads.
- Keep your private information safe. Use a strong, unique password or passphrase for each account, and avoid storing account information on a website. Consider using separate browsers for sensitive logins and general web browsing.
- Use private networks for sensitive transactions. Avoid checking your bank account, making purchases, or logging in to other websites that include sensitive information when using public Wi-Fi.
- Go stealth when browsing. Your browser can store quite a bit of information about your online activities, including cookies, cached pages, and history. To ensure the privacy of personal information online, limit access by going “incognito” and using the browser’s private mode.
Be on the lookout for these Blog postings throughout the month of October.
Sincerely,
Gray Mitchell
Chief Information Security Officer
This post is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. It includes an unmodified excerpt from Educause Review attributed to Educause