Cyber awareness involves preventing, detecting, and responding to cyber incidents that can have wide ranging effects on the individual, organizations, the community and at the national level. You can increase your chances of avoiding cyber risks by setting up the proper controls. The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your property before a cyber incident occurs.
- Only connect to the Internet over secure, password- protected networks.
- Do not click on links or pop-ups, open attachments, or respond to emails from strangers.
- Always enter a URL by hand instead of following links if you are unsure of the sender.
- Do not respond to online requests for Personally Identifiable Information (PII); most organizations – banks, universities, companies, etc. – do not ask for your personal information over the Internet.
- Limit who you are sharing information with by reviewing the privacy settings on your social media accounts.
- Trust your gut; if you think an offer is too good to be true, then it probably is.
- Password protect all devices that connect to the Internet and user accounts.
- Do not use the same password twice; choose a password that means something to you and you only; change your passwords annually.
- If you see something suspicious, report it to the proper authorities.
Additional Resources:
DHS "Cyber Security"
Ready.gov "Cyber Security"
ReadyWisconsin "Cyber Awareness"