It’s a special month for all cybersecurity firms! Yes, you read that right! In October, we are declared the official month of cybersecurity awareness to help promote online safety among the commoner, enhancing cybersecurity in every industry while ensuring a secure workplace environment. This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber”, which is intended to share the message that everyone is susceptible to cyber threats, no matter the person or their role. This year’s cybersecurity awareness campaign is about letting people know that every action that they individually take, such as using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, updating software regularly or even being aware of social engineering attacks and reporting them, can prove to be essential in avoiding cyberattacks. Through this year’s theme, CISA is trying to educate people and organizations to take a more thoughtful and proactive approach to raising cyber awareness among their inner circles.

Four Key Pointers To Consider in 2022’s Theme

• Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication – It’s a very straightforward technique of ensuring a double layer of protection for your personal accounts. Always ensure that you have two-factor authentication enabled so you will be notified immediately in case of a suspicious login. The hacker will be unable to get through without a login prompt code. This is one of the emerging solutions to securing your data and information on the internet. 

Setting Strong & Unique Passwords – Many businesses we are connected to online contain sensitive information such as our details, bank account details, locations, and much more. So more than ever, it is essential to set a solid and unique password that contains alphanumeric characters and is almost impossible to guess. Always avoid setting your name or birthday; they are effortless to crack. Or even better, take the help of a password manager that can keep track of all your unique passwords securely.

Update Your Software Regularly – Apart from setting strong passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication, it is also essential for everyone to update their systems and products regularly. This is because, for every upgrade, increased security enhancements can fix all the existing vulnerabilities. In case you miss an update, there’s a higher chance of you falling prey to cybercriminals as your system becomes vulnerable.

• Reporting Phishing Attacks – As we’ve discussed in our previous blogs, phishing attacks seem to be the most common type of cyberattack in which a hacker tries to infiltrate a victim’s system by manipulating them into clicking faulty links. This is commonly seen through emails that seem legitimate but are corrupted with malicious codes that get installed unknowingly. This year’s theme aims to bring awareness about phishing attacks and encourages everyone to recognize and report them when needed.

Conclusion

Every year we hear more and more about cybersecurity awareness but fail to comprehend it and take proactive measures in containing the threats. Our responsibility is to educate ourselves and the people around us about safe internet use, familiarize ourselves with emerging cyber threats and conduct awareness campaigns that can prevent cyberattacks in the future. Remember that everyone is a target, be it a student, employee or an ordinary man just browsing the internet. Every bit of your personal information can be stolen and misused by cybercriminals for financial gain. Therefore, to conclude, it is our sole responsibility to “See Yourself In Cyber” and be aware of and mitigate the rising threats in our day-to-day activities.