This October, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (cisa.gov), which operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the non-profit National Cybersecurity Alliance are once again leading a joint campaign to raise awareness about the importance of staying safe from cyber crime.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month, now in its 19th year, is a cooperative effort between government and industry that aims to educate stakeholders across large corporations, small- and medium-sized businesses, the non-profit sector, healthcare and educational institutions, and consumers. This year’s theme is “See Yourself In Cyber.”
A unique response to 2022
With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and integrated smart systems, security must always be top of mind. It’s the collective responsibility of everyone in the public and private sectors to ensure safe practices are disseminated among our communities, co-workers, and consumers—especially those who may not have cybersecurity know-how, such as the elderly, children, and anyone unfamiliar with the ebbs and flows of the tech space. So this year, instead of the usual weekly themes, four key behaviors have been highlighted:
Key Behaviors | Focus Areas | Where Zoho can help |
Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) | Given the current security landscape, MFA is a necessity. It can be as simple as using a one-time password (OTP) sent to your phone, or a simple biometric verification. It can be as advanced as using a physical token or an authenticator app. | Zoho’s OneAuth app simplifies logging in with single sign-on (SSO) and enhances security via MFA using your biometrics. Learn more here. |
Using strong passwords and a password manager | The primary guiding principle when creating a password should be that it needs to be long, unique, and complex. Password managers automatically save and fill in passwords, and generally make you less susceptible to social engineering. | Zoho Vault is among the best in class with its ability to save multiple passwordsand differentiate personal passwords from enterprise passwords. Vault is easy to learn, use, and customize to meet your requirements. Learn more here. |
Updating software | The simplest way to stay safeonline is to ensure your software and apps are always up to date, and that updates comedirectly from the source. It’s good practice to enable automatic updates where available, and to keep an eye out for fakes. | Zoho provides a solution withPatch Manager Plus. It automatically manages your AWS and Azure instances. Anadditional offering, Patch Manager Plus Cloud, helps you stay on top of all Windows and MacOS updates. Learn more here. |
Recognizing and reporting phishing | Phishing occurs when you are targeted by fake emails, social media posts, or direct messages trying to trick you into clicking on fraudulent links or downloading malicious attachments. To avoid this and other social- engineering tactics, look out for language conveying: a sense of urgency to respond immediately; poorly crafted messages with spelling and grammatical errors; financial offers that are too good to be true; generic messages from unfamiliar senders; requests for personal information; misspelled versions of well-known names; or strange claims that someone you know is in immediate need of help. | Zoho Vault automatically recognizes phishing efforts and stops you from providing your credentials to entities that might be trying to steal them. Additionally, with your explicit consent, it also scans and checks your passwords for any compromises in data breaches. Learn more here. |
Wrapping up
During the month of October, some ways to contribute on social media, at home, in your community, and at work include:
Post verified cybersecurity tips on social media with the #BeCyberSmart hashtag.
Blog about cybersecurity, sharing your best practices and promoting others’ tried-and-true practices.
Host free training sessions in your companies and communities.
Help those who might be at a technological disadvantage by offering to shore up their online practices.
Create and distribute educational resources about online security.
Remember to #BeCyberSmart and get your companies, businesses, organizations, and communities involved. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a grassroots, community-driven campaign and everyone’s participation matters in stopping cyber crime.
Hi, your blog is useful and will help many stop being a victim of cyber crimes
Very well written! V Sriramulu
Good Topic and informative.
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