Cyber Awareness Month

It’s finally October! Do you know what that means? No, it's not sweater weather or pumpkin spiced latte season. It’s Cyber Awareness month! We’re posting everyday with a security related fun fact or tip. So keep reading if you want to know fun facts about Cyber Security and tips on how to stay safe online!

October 1 | Tip #1: Phone Calls

Don’t answer unknown phone calls. These attackers are trying to get information from you by scaring or threatening you. If you’re getting a call from an unknown international number, don’t answer the call because they are trying to get you billed for making an international call.

October 2 | Tip #2: Long Passwords

Create longer passwords (8+ characters) using phrases instead of short and complex passwords that you can’t remember because longer passwords takes more time to crack. For example, a long password can be “BytesBitesBears” which will take 24 centuries to crack, while a short complex password like “b3@R$” can be cracked in 898 milliseconds!

Put your password creating skills to the test at Use a Passphrase .

October 3 | Poll #1: Password Managers

October 4 | Tip #3: Change Your Passwords

If you don’t remember the last time you changed your password, you should probably change it. Just don’t use the same password for everything!

October 5 | Fun Fact #1

DYK that according to the Bureau of Labor, jobs in Information Security Analysis is projected to grow by 32% by 2028 (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

October 6 | Tip #4: Two-Factor & Multi-Factor

Always use two-factor or multi-factor authentication, if given the option.

October 7 | Fun Fact #2

DYK that 147.9 million consumers were affected by the Equifax breach in 2019 (Varonis)

October 8 | Tip #5: Know What You're Plugging In

Don’t plug in unknown random USBs, CDs, or DVDs into your computer, and always be wary of free charging stations because you can be a victim of juice-jacking (KrebsonSecurity)

October 9 | Tip #6: Suspicious Emails

Don’t click on suspicious emails. If it looks and sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a phishing scam.

Can you spot the phishing email? Put your skills to the test at Phishing Quiz .

October 10 | Poll #2: Web Cams

October 11 | Fun Fact #3

DYK that nearly 106 million people’s information was exposed by the Capital One breach in March 2019 (cnet).

October 12 | Tip #7: HTTPS

If you’re using any credit or debit cards online or filling out forms that contain personal information, double-check the site to see if it’s using HTTPS by looking for the green lock.

October 13 | Fun Fact #4

DYK that 91% of women in Cyber Security have bachelor’s degree (2019 Cybersecurity Almanac)

October 14 | Poll #3: VPNs

October 15 | Tip #8: VPNs

Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) if you’re using public WiFi at places like Starbucks, airports, hotels, etc.

October 16 | Fun Fact #5

DYK that 95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human error (Cybint)

October 17 | Fun Fact #6

DYK that most companies take nearly 6 month to detect a data breach (Cybint)

October 18 | Tip #9: Stay Updated

Keep your all of your devices updated

October 19 | Poll #4 - Browsers

October 20 | Tip #10: Backups!

Always backup your files!

October 21 | Tip #11: Don't Share Everything!

Oversharing information, such as your location or birthday, can make it easier for an attacker to target or pose as you.

October 22 | Fun Fact #7: SIM Swapping

DYK that SIM swapping attacks have stolen tens-of-millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency.

SIM swapping is when an attacker convinces a phone carrier company to switch your phone number to the attacker in order to gain access to your accounts (2019 Cybersecurity Almanac)

October 23 | How Many IOT Devices Do You Have?

October 24 | Fun Fact #8

DYK that the number of IoT devices will exceed 50 billion by 2020 (2019 Cybersecurity Almanac)

October 25 | Fun Fact #9

DYK that the World Wide Web was invented in 1989? That was 30 years ago! (2019 Cybersecurity Almanac)

October 26 | Poll #5

October 27 | Tip #12: Lock Your Devices

Lock your devices if your leaving it unattended.

October 28 | Fun Fact #10

DYK that in 2019, Hospitals are more vulnerable than any other organizations (2019 Cybersecurity Almanac)

October 29 | Poll #6

October 30 | Tip #13: Clean Out Your Social Media

Go through your social media and delete accounts you don’t use, double check your privacy settings, and remove geotags.

October 31

Sadly, it’s the last day of October, but that doesn’t mean you stop being #CyberAware. What’s your favorite tip or fun fact that you learned this month?

Want more Cyber Tips? Check out 131 Cyber Security Tips that Anyone Can Apply