CYBER SECURITY QUICK-TIP

Nowadays, the Internet touches almost all aspects of our daily life. As high-profile hacks become increasingly more common – Equifax, Target, Yahoo – we must all be mindful of the need to protect ourselves and reduce risk when using the internet at work or at home. Throughout the month of October, IT will be finalizing the City firewall upgrade project. Very soon we will have new Next-Gen firewalls to better protect our network and servers. Yet simply relying on those devices is not enough, we all play a part in keeping our IT environment safe because Cybersecurity in the workplace is everyone’s business.

Please review the following tips to strengthen your cyber security awareness:

• Practice good cyber hygiene at work. Always be careful when clicking on attachments or links. If it’s unexpected or suspicious for any reason, don’t click on it. Double check the URL of the website the link takes you to: bad actors will often take advantage of spelling mistakes to direct you to a harmful domain. Think you can spot a phony website? Try the Phishing Quiz. Stop, Think and then Connect. If in doubt, contact IT.
• Understand the risks of IoT (Internet of Things). If you are using WiFi-enabled, App-controlled doorbell, thermostat or security cameras at home, you are already using the IoT. Be sure to purchase IoT devices from manufacturers with good security track records.
• Practice good password management. Use a strong mix of letters, numbers and characters, and don’t use the same password for multiple sites. Change it regularly (at least every 6 months).
• Never leave your devices unattended. Lock your device when you are away (and please don’t attach a post-it note with you login password on your monitor).
• Be conscientious of what you plug in to your computer. Malware can be spread through infected USB drives, external hard drives, and even smartphones.
• Watch what you’re sharing on social networks. Criminals can befriend you and easily gain access to a shocking amount of information – where you go to school, where you work, when you’re on vacation – that could help them gain access to more valuable data.
• Sensitive browsing, such as banking or shopping, should only be done on a device that belongs to you, on a network that you trust.
• Be sure to monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you see something unfamiliar, it could be a sign that you’ve been compromised.
• The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) – IC3 is a government website to report cyber-crime and scams. https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
• More NCSAM information: Homeland Security. FBI. StaySafeOnline.org.