With
the
number
of
cyber
threats
and
breaches
dominating
the
headlines,
it
can
seem
like
a
Herculean
task
to
cover
all
your
cybersecurity
bases.
We’re
aware
that
there
are
ten
sections
on
this
cybersecurity
awareness
checklist,
but
it
won’t
take
hours
and
hours
to
tick
every
box.
In
fact,
some
of
these
areas
only
require
you
to
check
a
box
on
your
device
or
invest
in
the
cybersecurity
tools
that
will
handle
the
rest
for
you.
Also,
you
may
already
be
doing
some
of
these
things!
It’s
easy
to
be
cyber
smart.
Here
are
the
cybersecurity
awareness
basics
to
instantly
boost
your
safety
and
confidence
in
your
online
presence.
1.
Update
Your
Software
Software
update
notifications
always
seem
to
ping
on
the
outskirts
of
your
desktop
and
mobile
device
at
the
most
inconvenient
times.
What’s
more
inconvenient
though
is
having
your
device
hacked.
One
easy
tip
to
improve
your
cybersecurity
is
to
update
your
device
software
whenever
upgrades
are
available.
Most
software
updates
include
security
patches
that
smart
teams
have
created
to
foil
cybercriminals.
The
more
outdated
your
apps
or
operating
system
is,
the
more
time
criminals
have
had
to
work
out
ways
to
infiltrate
them.
Enabling
automatic
updates
on
all
your
devices
only
takes
a
few
clicks
or
taps.
Many
major
updates
occur
in
the
early
hours
of
the
morning,
meaning
that
you’ll
never
know
your
devices
were
offline.
You’ll
just
wake
up
to
new,
secure
software!
2.
Edit
Your
Social
Media
Just
because
social
media
personalities
document
their
entire
days
literally
from
the
moment
they
wake
up,
doesn’t
mean
you
should
do
the
same.
It’s
best
to
leave
some
details
about
your
life
a
mystery
from
the
internet
for
various
reasons.
-
Doxing.
When
you
post
something
online,
it
leaves
its
mark.
At
least
one
of
your
followers
or
friends
is
likely
to
catch
a
post,
even
if
you
delete
it
minutes
later.
Doxing
is
a
scheme
where
a
criminal
unearths
unflattering
posts
or
personal
details
revealed
online
(like
a
home
address
or
workplace)
about
someone
and
then
releases
them
to
a
wide
audience.
A
doxer
“drops
documents”
–
the
origin
of
the
term
doxing
–
with
the
aim
to
embarrass
their
target
or
kick
off
a
large-scale
cyberbullying
campaign. -
Social
engineering.
Cybercriminals
lurk
on
social
media
channels
hoping
to
find
an
over-sharer
for
their
social
engineering
scams.
A
social
engineer
learns
as
much
as
they
can
about
the
personality
and
passions
of
their
target
and
then
tailors
scams
that
are
most
likely
to
get
a
response.
Especially
with
the
help
of
artificial
intelligence
(AI)
tools
like
ChatGPT,
their
scams
are
getting
more
believable
by
the
day. -
Stalking.
Geotagging,
or
the
inclusion
of
your
location
on
social
media
posts,
can
leave
you
vulnerable
to
stalking.
Over-sharing
about
your
life
can
also
lead
to
you
unknowingly
dropping
hints
about
where
you
live,
your
daily
habits,
and
where
one
could
expect
you
at
a
certain
time
and
place.
The
best
way
to
avoid
all
of
the
above
is
to
set
your
online
profiles
to
private
and
edit
your
list
of
followers
to
only
people
you
have
met
in
real
life
and
trust.
Also,
you
may
want
to
consider
revising
what
you
post
about
and
how
often.
If
you
genuinely
love
sharing
moments
from
your
daily
life,
consider
sending
a
newsletter
to
a
curated
group
of
close
friends
and
family.
Aspiring
influencers
who
still
wants
to
capture
and
publish
every
aspect
of
their
daily
lives
should
be
extremely
careful
about
keeping
sensitive
details
about
themselves
private,
such
as
blurring
their
house
number,
not
revealing
their
hometown,
turning
off
location
services,
and
going
by
a
nickname
instead
of
their
full
legal
name.
3.
Strengthen
Your
Passwords
Most
sites
won’t
even
let
you
proceed
with
creating
an
account
if
you
don’t
have
a
strong
enough
password.
A
strong
password
is
one
with
a
mix
of
capital
and
lowercase
letters,
numbers,
and
special
characters.
What
also
makes
for
an
excellent
password
is
one
that’s
unique.
Reusing
passwords
can
be
just
as
risky
as
using
“password123”
or
your
pet’s
name
plus
your
birthday
as
a
password.
A
reused
password
can
put
all
your
online
accounts
at
risk,
due
to
a
practice
called
credential
stuffing.
Credential
stuffing
is
a
tactic
where
a
cybercriminal
attempts
to
input
a
stolen
username
and
password
combination
in
dozens
of
random
websites
to
see
which
doors
it
opens.
Remembering
a
different
password
for
each
of
your
online
accounts
is
almost
an
impossible
task.
Luckily,
password
managers
make
it
so
you
only
have
to
remember
one
password
ever
again!
Password
managers
safeguard
all
your
passwords
in
one
secure
desktop
extension
or
smartphone
app
that
you
can
use
anywhere.
It’s
best
to
create
passwords
or
passphrases
that
have
a
secret
meaning
that
only
you
know.
Stay
away
from
using
significant
dates,
names,
or
places,
because
those
are
easier
to
guess.
You
can
also
leave
it
up
to
your
password
manager
to
randomly
generate
a
password
for
you.
The
resulting
unintelligible
jumble
of
numbers,
letters,
and
symbols
is
virtually
impossible
for
anyone
to
guess.
4.
Surf
Safely
Not
all
corners
of
the
internet
are
safe
to
visit.
Some
dark
crevices
hide
malware
that
can
then
sneak
onto
your
device
without
you
knowing.
There
are
various
types
of
malware,
but
the
motive
behind
all
of
them
is
the
same:
To
steal
your
personally
identifiable
information
(PII)
or
your
device’s
power
for
a
cybercriminal’s
own
financial
gain.
Sites
that
claim
to
have
free
downloads
of
TV
shows,
movies,
and
games
are
notorious
for
harboring
malware.
Practice
safe
downloading
habits,
such
as
ensuring
the
site
is
secure,
checking
to
see
that
it
looks
professional,
and
inspecting
the
URLs
for
suspicious
file
extensions.
Additionally,
not
all
internet
connections
are
free
from
prying
eyes.
Public
Wi-Fi
networks
–
like
those
in
cafes,
libraries,
hotels,
and
transportation
hubs
–
are
especially
prone.
Because
anyone
can
connect
to
a
public
network
without
needing
a
password,
cybercriminals
can
digitally
eavesdrop
on
other
people
on
the
same
network.
It’s
unsafe
to
do
your
online
banking,
shopping,
and
other
activities
that
deal
with
your
financial
or
sensitive
personal
information
while
on
public
Wi-Fi.
However,
there
is
one
way
to
do
so
safely,
and
that’s
with
a
virtual
private
network
(VPN).
A
VPN
is
a
type
of
software
you
can
use
on
your
smartphone,
tablet,
laptop,
or
desktop.
It
encrypts
all
your
outgoing
data,
making
it
nearly
impossible
for
a
cybercriminal
to
snoop
on
your
internet
session.
5.
Read
Your
Online
Messages
Carefully
You’ve
likely
already
experienced
a
phishing
attempt,
whether
you
were
aware
of
it
or
not.
Phishing
is
a
common
tactic
used
to
eke
personal
details
from
unsuspecting
or
trusting
people.
Phishers
often
initiate
contact
through
texts,
emails,
or
social
media
direct
messages,
and
they
aim
to
get
enough
information
to
break
into
your
online
accounts
or
to
impersonate
you.
AI
text
generator
tools
are
making
it
more
difficult
to
pinpoint
a
phisher,
as
messages
can
seem
very
humanlike.
Typos
and
nonsensical
sentences
used
to
be
the
main
indicator
of
a
phishing
attempt,
but
text
generators
generally
use
correct
spelling
and
grammar.
Here
are
a
few
tell-tale
signs
of
a
phishing
attempt:
-
Choppy
writing,
or
when
one
sentence
doesn’t
sound
natural
or
flow
into
the
one
after
it -
Links
to
suspicious-looking
URLs -
A
tone
of
urgency,
fear,
anger,
or
pleas
for
sympathy -
Requests
for
banking
or
personal
details,
passwords,
or
money
wires -
Blurry
logos
and
images -
Generally
odd
demands
that
seem
out
of
character
for
the
sender
Never
engage
with
a
phishing
attempt.
Do
not
forward
the
message
or
respond
to
them
and
never
click
on
any
links
included
in
their
message.
The
links
could
direct
to
malicious
sites
that
could
infect
your
device
with
malware
or
spyware.
Before
you
delete
the
message,
block
the
sender,
mark
the
message
as
junk,
and
report
the
phisher.
Reporting
can
go
a
long
way
toward
hopefully
preventing
the
phisher
from
targeting
someone
else.
6.
Keep
Up
With
the
News
When
a
security
breach
occurs,
you
can
be
sure
that
the
news
will
report
it.
Plus,
it’s
the
law
for
companies
to
notify
the
Federal
Trade
Commission
of
a
breach.
Keep
a
keen
eye
on
the
news
and
your
inbox
for
notifications
about
recent
breaches.
Quick
action
is
necessary
to
protect
your
personal
and
financial
information,
which
is
why
you
should
be
aware
of
current
events.
The
moment
you
hear
about
a
breach
on
the
news
or
see
an
email
from
a
company
to
its
customers
about
an
incident,
change
your
account’s
password
and
double
check
your
account’s
recent
activity
to
ensure
nothing
is
amiss.
Then
await
further
action
communicated
through
official
company
correspondences
and
official
channels.
Cybercriminals
aren’t
above
adding
insult
to
injury
and
further
scamming
customers
affected
in
breaches.
Phishers
may
spam
inboxes
impersonating
the
company
and
sending
malware-laden
links
they
claim
will
reset
your
password.
Continue
to
scrutinize
your
messages
and
keep
an
eye
on
the
company’s
official
company
website
and
verified
social
media
accounts
to
ensure
you’re
getting
company-approved
advice.
7.
Secure
Every
Home
Device
One
great
mantra
to
guide
your
cybersecurity
habits
is:
If
you
connect
it,
protect
it.
This
means
that
any
device
that
links
to
the
internet
should
have
security
measures
in
place
to
shield
it
from
cybercriminals.
Yes,
this
includes
your
smart
TV,
smart
refrigerator,
smart
thermostat,
and
smart
lightbulbs!
Compose
a
list
of
the
smart
home
devices
you
own.
(You
probably
have
more
than
you
thought!)
Then,
make
sure
that
every
device
is
using
a
password
you
created,
instead
of
the
default
password
the
device
came
with.
Default
passwords
can
be
reused
across
an
entire
line
of
appliances.
So,
if
a
cybercriminal
cracks
the
code
on
someone
else’s
smart
washing
machine,
that
could
mean
they
could
weasel
their
way
into
yours
with
the
same
password.
Another
way
to
secure
your
connected
home
devices
is
by
enabling
two-factor
authentication
(2FA).
This
usually
means
enrolling
your
phone
number
or
email
address
with
the
device
and
inputting
one-time
codes
periodically
to
log
into
the
connected
device.
2FA
is
an
excellent
way
to
frustrate
a
cybercriminal,
as
it’s
extremely
difficult
for
them
to
bypass
this
security
measure.
It
may
add
an
extra
15
seconds
to
your
login
process,
but
the
peace
of
mind
is
worth
the
minor
inconvenience.
Finally,
encase
your
entire
home
network
with
a
secure
router,
or
the
device
that
connects
your
home
Wi-Fi
network
to
the
internet.
Again,
change
the
password
from
the
factory
setting.
And
if
you
decide
to
rename
the
network,
have
fun
with
it
but
leave
your
name
and
address
out
of
the
new
name.
8.
Lock
Your
Devices
When
flip
phones
arrived
on
the
scene
in
the
1990s
and
early
2000s,
the
worst
that
happened
when
they
went
missing
was
that
you
lost
a
cache
of
your
stored
text
messages
and
call
history.
Now,
when
you
misplace
or
have
your
smartphone
stolen,
it
can
seem
like
your
whole
online
life
vanished.
Mobile
devices
store
a
lot
of
our
sensitive
information,
so
that’s
why
it’s
key
to
not
only
safeguard
your
accounts
but
the
devices
that
house
them.
The
best
way
to
lock
your
device
against
anyone
but
yourself
is
to
set
up
face
or
fingerprint
ID.
This
makes
it
virtually
impossible
for
a
criminal
to
open
your
device.
Also,
passcode-
or
password-protect
all
your
devices.
It
may
seem
like
an
inconvenience
now,
but
your
fingers
will
soon
be
able
to
glide
across
the
keyboard
or
number
pad
fluently
in
just
a
few
days,
adding
maybe
an
extra
second
to
opening
your
device.
Another
way
to
safeguard
your
device
and
the
important
information
within
it
is
to
disable
your
favorite
internet
browser
from
auto-filling
your
passwords
and
credit
card
information.
In
the
hands
of
a
criminal,
these
details
could
lead
to
significant
losses.
A
password
manager
here
comes
in
handy
for
quick
and
secure
password
and
username
inputting.
9.
Check
Your
Credit
Regularly
Credit
experts
recommend
checking
your
credit
at
least
once
yearly,
but
there’s
no
harm
in
checking
your
credit
score
more
often.
It’s
only
hard
inquiries
(or
credit
checks
initiated
by
lenders)
that
may
lower
your
credit
score.
Consider
making
it
a
habit
to
check
your
credit
once
every
quarter.
The
first
signs
of
identity
theft
often
appear
in
a
drastically
lower
credit
score,
which
means
that
someone
may
be
opening
lines
of
credit
in
your
name.
Also,
if
you’re
not
planning
to
apply
for
a
new
credit
card
or
a
loan
anytime
soon,
why
not
lock
your
credit
so
no
one
can
access
it?
A
credit
freeze
makes
it
so
that
no
one
(yourself
included)
can
touch
it,
thus
keeping
it
out
of
the
hands
of
thieves.
10.
Invest
in
Identity
Protection
Picking
up
the
pieces
after
a
thief
steals
your
identity
is
expensive,
tedious,
and
time-consuming.
Identity
remediation
includes
reaching
out
to
all
three
credit
bureaus,
filing
reports,
and
spending
hours
tracking
down
your
PII
that’s
now
strewn
across
the
internet.
Identity
protection
services
can
guard
your
identity
so
you
hopefully
avoid
this
entire
scenario
altogether.
McAfee
identity
monitoring
tracks
the
dark
web
for
you
and
alerts
you,
on
average,
ten
months
sooner
that
something
is
amiss
when
compared
to
similar
services.
And
if
something
does
happen
to
your
identity,
McAfee
identity
restoration
services
offers
$1
million
in
identity
restoration
and
lends
its
support
to
help
you
get
your
identity
and
credit
back
in
order.
Great
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The
best
complement
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your
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is
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public
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