Simple Cybersecurity: 4 steps to online safety
“Cybersecurity Awareness Month, every October, is a collaboration between government and private industry to raise awareness about digital security and empower everyone to protect their personal data from digital forms of crime.”
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Fight cyber crime like Byte Knight and MFA Maven!
Step 1. Strong and unique passwords set the foundation of cybersecurity
On a daily basis, the average person logs into some variation of Instagram, TikTok,
With users sharing so much information, how can they stay safe? It’s actually simple. Using strong and unique passwords helps protect your data. Not sure if your passwords are strong enough? Test
"70% of people admit they use the same password for more than one account."
Step 2. Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA), two-step login, or multi-factor authentication (MFA) refers to the separate methods of verifying one’s identity in order to access an account. This may include logging into an account with a password and then re-confirming with an authentication code. For a more detailed explanation check out this post for
Visit
The Survey Room: a collection of password management and security related surveys and reports spanning businesses and individuals.
Did you know?
Passkey 2FA is included in every Bitwarden plan, including free! All users can secure their Bitwarden account with a hardware security key or other
Step 3. Keep your software updated
Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminds everyone to stay on top of software updates. Typically, updates will patch security flaws, remove bugs, and add features that may better secure information. While it’s tempting to forgo the updates, a couple minutes of updates could prevent hours of headache resulting from a stolen identity.
Software updates also help prevent
Learn more about the
#StopRansomware Guideauthored by CISA, the FBI, and the National Security Agency (NSA).
66% of respondents reported their organization was affected by ransomware in 2023, up from 51% in 2020.
Step 4. Know how to spot a phishing scam
Learn how to stay alert for phishing attacks, which refer to the attempt to trick people into sharing valuable data or visiting malware-infected websites. Users should check to ensure emails are coming from the right sender, hover over links to confirm they go to the right website, and avoid opening attachments from people they don’t know. Be especially careful on mobile devices which do not always have the hover option to see exact email address and link destinations.
With the proliferation of generative AI, phishing scams have become even more sophisticated. Fortunately, tools such as password managers can help. Read more about how
"A successful phishing attack can be so convincing that you won't even know that you were affected."
Additional resources
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