On October 11, Mayor John Cooper signed a proclamation recognizing the importance of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and all efforts to improve information security.
What is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month?
Held every October, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and ensure that everyone has access to the appropriate resources they need to be safer and more secure online.
Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.
This year's overarching message — Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. — has been designed to encourage personal accountability and proactive behavior in digital privacy, but also promote security best practices, consumer device privacy, e-commerce security, as well as various cybersecurity focused careers.
How Can You #BeCyberSmart?
Secure your digital life with these helpful tips.
Double Your Login Protection
Enable multi-factor authentication to ensure that the only person who has access to your account is you. Use it for email, banking, social media, and any other service that requires logging in.
Share With Care
Even if you delete a post or picture from your profile seconds after posting it, chances are someone saw it or saved a screenshot.
Update Your Privacy Settings
Set the privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Disable geotagging, which allows anyone to see where you are — and where you aren't — at any given time.
Never Provide Passwords
Be wary of any request for login information as most legitimate providers of IT related services do not need to know it to provide assistance.
Verify the Source of Email Messages
Most legitimate emails from a business include a phone number to call if you have any questions. If you are concerned about the legitimacy of an email, call the company directly or contact them through a method you know is accurate.
Don't Click Links in Emails
It's easy to hide a dangerous link in an email and make it look legitimate. Instead of clicking, search for the site you're trying to visit using a known search engine and visit it that way.
Update Your Software
Make sure each of your computers, mobile devices, programs, and apps is up-to-date with the latest security fixes. Use automatic updating where you can to make sure software stays fully patched and protected from known vulnerabilities.
Following these tips can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of cybercrime. For more helpful information about cybersecurity year-round, visit the Information Security section of Nashville.gov.