1. Use Strong and Varied Passwords.- Your passwords should be somewhat different for every account you hold.  In doing so, if your password gets hacked, you will only be vulnerable in one area and not all the sites you have used that password for. The National Institute of Standards and Technology have created a policy to help people create strong passwords:

• Use passwords with more than 8 characters and maximum of 64 characters

• Never make use of the same password twice

• Use at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number, and few symbols

• Use passwords that are easy to remember and also, do not leave cluse in teh open or make them available to the public

• Change your password often and reset it.

One of the methods I like to use is to create password phrase and replace any letters with similar looking numbers. For example, the number zero for the letter O, the number 3 for E, etc.

2.  Keep Your Systems Updated- While at school, the district takes care of making sure all browser, software, firewalls, and operating systems of district-owned equipment are up-to-date. However, at home, you should take the same measures.  Doing so will help prevent attackers from having time to infiltrate your system, steal your data and cause damage.  

3. Learn About Phishing Attacks- This is the trickiest one.  Attackers make themselves look like they are safe, but in reality they are trying to trick you into giving away your private information and credentials or getting you to click on a link or download something that will attack your system.  This is how many ransom attacks begin.  To avoid phishing attacks:

• Do not open emails from unknown people or sources

• Hover over links before clicking to figure out where they direct and if the link seems unsafe, do not click it

• Check for any type of grammatical errors

• Educate your friends and family about phishing so they also avoid opening such emails which can be sent to their entire contact list without their knowledge

4. Avoid Useless Downloads- Only download what is absolutely necessary and only do so from trusted sources.  During the installation process, be mindful of any pop-ups for extensions and add-ons.  You should decline these invitations.

5. Stay Cautious on Social Media- Be careful of the information you share on social media that may give away too much information.

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