October is Cyber Security Awareness Month!
This month, let’s focus on the actions we can take to protect our personal lives, community, and university, especially in the digital world.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a global initiative focused on educating individuals and businesses about online safety and empowering them to protect their data from cybercrime. This year’s theme, "Secure Our World," emphasizes that simple, practical steps can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks. By adopting basic precautions, such as following four key steps, people can strengthen their defenses against online threats and make it harder for cybercriminals to target them.
Utilize MFA (Multi Factor Authentication)  | Avoid Phishing Links and Emails  |
|---|---|
To better safeguard your online accounts, a password alone isn’t enough. Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication can better safeguard your information and prevent unwanted logins. Make sure to activate MFA on all your accounts that support it-- particularly for email, social media, and financial ones. Additional Reading: | Cybercriminals attempt to steal sensitive information such as passwords and personal data through scams known as "phishing". These scams can appear as emails, texts, and phone calls, and are designed to prompt a response or get you to click on links. Make sure to report any scams you see at Phishtank.uoregon.edu! Additional Reading: Unwanted Contacts: Learn about phishing and other social engineering attacks |
Keep all software updated  | Strengthen your passwords  |
Developers are constantly patching vulnerabilities in their programs-- just as quickly as people find them! Be sure to keep up with the latest updates and bug fixes for your software to stay secure. Allowing apps to auto-update can also be beneficial. Additional Reading: Home Computing Security Guidelines | Your password is one of the first things you should be keeping secure when it comes to online safety. Weak passwords can easily be guessed. Make sure to incorporate a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Additionally, a password manager can assist in generating unique passwords and storing them for your convenience. Additional Reading: |
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Events:
- Register for Oregon Cyber Resilience Summit: October 8th, 2024
- Meet Cybersecurity Awareness Team at ASUO’s Street Faire: October 16th-18th, 2024