By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminding the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
This month and year-round, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) urges everyone to adopt four simple steps to stay safe online:
• Use strong passwords that are long, random, and unique to each account, and use a password manager to generate them and to save them.
• Turn on multifactor authentication on all accounts that offer it. More than a password is needed on the most important accounts, like email, social media, and financial accounts.
• Recognize and report phishing. In other words, think before you click. Be cautious of unsolicited emails or texts or calls asking you for personal information, and don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown sources.
• Update software. In fact, CISA says to enable automatic updates on software, so the latest security patches keep devices we are connected to continuously up to date.
“CISA is excited to again partner with the National Cybersecurity Alliance and lead the federal government’s efforts to reduce online risk during this 21st Cybersecurity Awareness month and every month,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly.
“Our focus is working with government and industry to raise cybersecurity awareness and help everyone, from individuals to businesses to all levels of government, stay safe online in our ever-connected world. Protecting ourselves online is about taking a few simple, everyday steps to keep our digital lives safe.”
Michael Ramage, with the Bowling Green-based national nonprofit Connected Nation echoed those sentiments that precautions are needed.
“As the United States continues on its transformative effort to truly bridge the Digital Divide, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is set to bring millions of unconnected Americans online for the first time,” Ramage noted. “This expansion promises significant benefits to each new user, including increased access to education, health care and economic opportunities, particularly in rural and low-income communities.”
There is a dark side, however, according to Ramage.
“As more people gain access to high-speed broadband infrastructure, cybercriminals will have more opportunities to exploit those unfamiliar with the online world. These new users often lack the knowledge to protect themselves from cyberattacks, making them easy targets.”
CISA encourages everyone to visit their Cybersecurity Awareness Month webpage.