National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) is celebrating its 20th anniversary in October! SBS is proud to support this far-reaching online safety awareness and education initiative which is co-led by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This initiative helps equip professionals with a vast amount of online safety awareness and education to stay ahead of the ever-changing cyber threat landscape.
Educating both your employees and customers supports a strong cybersecurity culture. This will help establish trust that your organization takes cybersecurity seriously and is dedicated to doing what's best for everyone involved. As an NCSAM Champion, we want to make it easy for you to run a successful Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign with a variety of grab-and-go resources for you to share throughout the month (and beyond)!
This year the focus is on the following four key cybersecurity behaviors that are simple but carry a big impact for both individuals and businesses.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
- Use Strong Passwords and a Password Manager
- Update Your Software
- Recognize and Report Phishing
Download: Security Awareness Toolkit
NCSAM is a great reminder to refocus on cybersecurity awareness, but education needs to take place throughout the year to be fully effective. We want to make it easy for you to educate your customers, board, and community to stay cyber-safe all year long. We encourage you to review the SBS Security Awareness Toolkit to easily share cyber tips, social media posts, events, and more, reinforcing the strong cybersecurity culture of your organization.
Cyber Showcase Webinar: Cybersecurity Awareness Month Prep Session
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a great time to consider how you can help protect your customers from cyber threats. SBS is here to lend a hand.
During the webinar, we will discuss why it's important and beneficial to educate your customers; ideas on how to do it; and review the free SBS Security Awareness Toolkit containing a variety of grab-and-go resources for you to share throughout the month (and beyond)!
There is no better time than Cybersecurity Awareness Month to help your customers better protect themselves from cyber threats!
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication, or MFA, is a security measure that requires anyone logging into an account to navigate a two-step process to prove their identity. It makes it twice as hard for criminals to access an online account. When it’s available, always turn it on because it’s easy to do and greatly increases your security.
Quick tips to share:
- 99.9% of account hacks could have been blocked by MFA. Enable MFA on every application that allows it.
- Double up your security game! Enable multi-factor authentication.
- Give a hacker a hard time! When you use MFA on your accounts, it means cybercriminals can't access your account with just your password alone.
Resources to share:
- MFA Fatigue - Improving the Second Factor: As MFA becomes universally adopted, attackers are adapting their strategies to attack organizations. Recently, attackers have been exploiting something known as MFA fatigue. Battling MFA fatigue involves implementing a technical control combined with user education.
- Quick Tip to Keep Hackers Out - Always Verify MFA: Multi-factor authentication is one of the best security tools we can use to protect our information. However, every security feature has its weaknesses. The good news is that we can address an MFA weakness by considering the tips in this blog.
- Top 5 Most Common Incident Response Scenarios: Dealing with cyber threats such as phishing scams, malicious network scanning, and ransomware attacks can be overwhelming. Learn how to protect, detect, and respond to the top five cyber threats.
Use Strong Passwords and a Password Manager
It's not uncommon to juggle a staggering 100 or more passwords. Thankfully, password managers have come to the rescue, alleviating the hassle and enhancing account security. Password managers effortlessly generate strong, unique passwords. They are safer than manual memorization because they can create and store complex, unique passwords for each account, reducing the risk of using weak or repeated passwords. They also offer encrypted storage, protecting your credentials from cyber threats like phishing and hacking.
Quick tips to share:
- Running out of password ideas? Let password managers do the work for you.
- Lock up your password list. Replace your written list of passwords with a password management tool.
- Password managers often come with password strength analysis tools. Use them to identify and update weak passwords in your existing accounts, enhancing your overall cybersecurity posture.
- Did you know the average person has over 100 passwords online? Here’s an easy pro tip: a password manager can do all the managing of strong, unique passwords for each account.
- What are the advantages of a password manager? They 1. Save time 2. Suggest strong passwords and 3. Identify weak passwords.
- Avoid common password pitfalls! Hackers love easy targets, so don't make it easy for them. Say no to password123 or qwerty. Opt for unique and complex passwords – let a password manager do the heavy lifting for you. It's time to level up your security.
Resources to share:
- Password Tips: It’s important to create strong, complex passwords for your systems. That’s why we’ve put together these best methods for stronger passwords to help you train your employees. Keep in mind, though, that based on the risk of each system, these standards may fluctuate.
- Are Password Managers Secure? The LastPass breach reminds us there is no way to stay 100% safe online and highlights some of the risks associated with using a central vault to store passwords and other secrets. So, are password managers still the safe solution?
Update Your Software
One of the easiest ways to keep information secure is to keep software and apps updated. These updates serve to address common software issues while also supplying crucial security patches that fortify defenses against potential breaches. As you prepare for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we encourage everyone to break free from the habit of deferring updates with the "remind me later" option, thus proactively outsmarting cybercriminals.
Quick tips to share:
- Turn on automatic updates on all your devices. Set it and forget it!
- Stop clicking "Remind me later." Don't hesitate to update!
- Automatic updates make your life easier! With automatic software updates, you don't have to worry about manually checking for updates. Embrace the convenience and let your devices take care of themselves. Stay on top of security and enjoy peace of mind.
- Only download software and apps to your devices from verified sources or the official app stores. The device, software, or app developer itself should be sending you updates, not anyone else.
- Don’t fall for phishy fakes! If you see a suspicious pop-up window prompting you to update, think twice before clicking on it. Many web browsers will warn you if you are attempting to visit an unsecured web address or one that could contain malware. Heed these warnings and don’t take the bait!
SBS Resources:
- Security Patch Overload: The endless cycle of patching may leave many asking themselves, Why? Is there a better way? How can we improve this process? This blog covers the topics that a modern patch management program should address.
Recognize and Report Phishing
Phishing is a crafty tactic used by cybercriminals to deploy counterfeit emails, social media posts, or direct messages with the sole purpose of enticing you into clicking on a dangerous link or downloading a malicious attachment. Falling victim to these schemes could install malware on your device or cause you to inadvertently divulge your sensitive personal information. Thankfully, with a little awareness, you can easily steer clear of these fraudulent emails. Once you're acquainted with the telltale signs, you'll be ready to outsmart these phishing attempts.
Quick tips to share:
- Follow the Golden Rule of Email! Treat every email like a phishing email.
- Call to verify. Always call the sender or send a chat (not an email) to verify a suspicious email.
- Think and rethink before you click. Don't click on any link or download unless you have verified the sources and are certain of where it will send you.
- Cybercriminals cast wide nets with phishing tactics, hoping to drag in victims. They may offer a financial reward, threaten you if you don’t engage, or claim that someone is in need of help. Stop, take a moment, and think before you click.
Resources to share:
- Investigating Phishing Emails: If your organization is notified that emails are being sent that appear to come from you or an employee of your organization, the process outlined in this download can be useful in determining if the email is spoofed or if you have a compromised email account.
- The Golden Rule of Email: Because of the mass amounts of phishing emails targeting victims every day, it is more important now than ever to remember The Golden Rule of Email, the modern version of the well-known principle.