October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) and USAID is joining with the Department of Homeland Security’s Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaign and its partners across the country to highlight the importance of cybersecurity and online safety.
Every day you do simple things to protect yourself. You protect your house when you lock your doors. You protect your children when you hold their hands to cross the street. You protect your health when you brush your teeth. These are simple but impactful activities you do every day, probably without a second thought.
You don’t have to be an IT professional to understand the basics of cybersecurity. At USAID, we believe cybersecurity is a shared responsibility – everyone has a role to play.
USAID encourages everyone to take 15 minutes out of their day to complete the following three cybersecurity steps:
Change Your Password. Choose your three most sensitive accounts – accounts that you would not want ANYONE to access, like your bank account or email – and change your passwords. Make your passwords long, with a mixture letters, numbers and symbols.
Update Your Software and Operating Systems. Don’t let cyber criminals take advantage of known vulnerabilities in your devices. Updating your programs and computers with the latest software helps protect them.
Secure Your Social Media. Review the sharing or privacy options on all of your social media platforms and ensure they are set to the strictest level. Only share your profile and what you post with people you know in real life.
As a partner in the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign, USAID is committed to promoting the online safety message. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Learn more about day-to-day best practices and what you can do to be more cyber secure at www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect.
To receive cyber security tips year round, visit www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect and become a Friend of the Stop.Think.Connect. Campaign.
