2023 Cybersecurity Awareness Month – simple steps to stay safe

Since 2004, the U.S. President and Congress declared the month of October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a dedicated month for the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.  Vestige would like to address both corporate and personal cybersecurity:

Corporate Cybersecurity

When it comes to cybersecurity there are all kinds of things you could be doing.
The problem is recognizing what you should be doing.

Effective cybersecurity should not be approached in a broadly scattered shotgun method. Rather, organizations should have a focused navigation for cybersecurity including:

1. Know your organization’s risks. No company can address every cybersecurity risk. There are so many…where do you start?
   Vestige offers Risk Mapping Services to address this exact issue.
2. Have a plan for these risks. There is no one template. Each organization is unique… differing from other organizations in: industry, customers, partners, investors, and peers. Look to Vestige for Cybersecurity Policy & Procedure Development as well as Compliance Services.
3. A Cybersecurity Readiness or a formal Risk Assessment will help your organization prioritize where your time, attention, and resources should be focused in regards to effective corporate cybersecurity preventive practices.
   Vestige offers a free consultation if you need assistance setting up a proactive cybersecurity plan with a Risk Assessment; or if you’re concerned your organization may have been breached we can also dive in to help mitigate damage, assist with repair and get things up and going again.  CONTACT US today!

Personal Cybersecurity

This month is also dedicated to continued awareness about individuals staying safe online.

2023 marks the 20th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month and this year encourages 4 simple steps every American can take to stay safe online. Simple actions we should all take not only during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but every day throughout the year.

1. Use strong passwords and a password manager: Strong passwords are critical to protecting data. They are long, random, unique, and include all four-character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create long, random, and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Plus, they make storing passwords and user IDs easy.

2. Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA): You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable multifactor authentication on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media, and financial accounts and use authentication apps or hardware tokens for added security. Learn more about multifactor authentication.

3. Recognize & report phishing: Phishing emails, texts, and calls are the number one way data gets compromised. Be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials over the phone or email unless necessary and don’t click on links or open attachments sent from unknown sources. Verify the authenticity of requests by contacting the individual or organization through a trusted channel. Report phishing attempts to the appropriate authorities or IT department. Learn to recognize the signs of phishing and report these incidents to protect data and devices.

4. Update software: Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check manually for updates if automatic updates are not available and keep operating systems, antivirus software, web browsers, and applications up to date.

https://www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month