October is Cybersecurity Month
Protect Your Personal Information
Personal information is any information that can be used to identify you or your accounts. Examples include your name, address, phone number, usernames and passwords, pictures, birthday and social security number. • Secure your accounts: Ask for protection beyond passwords. Many account providers now offer additional ways for you verify who you are before you conduct business on that site. • Make passwords long and strong: Combine capital and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols to create a more secure password. (Remember, passwords are the keys to your accounts. The only people who need to know them are YOU and your parents. Not your brother, sister, best friend, or teacher – just you.) • Own your online presence: When available, set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s ok to limit how and with whom you share information.
Securing the Internet is Our Shared Responsibility
Be Web Wise
Stay informed of the latest Internet developments, know what to do if something goes wrong and be open with your parents about what you are doing online. • Stay current. Keep pace with new ways to stay safe online. Check trusted websites for the latest information, share with friends and family, and encourage them to be web wise. • Think before you act: Be wary of communications that implores you to act immediately, offers something that sounds too good to be true, or asks for personal information. Do not accept downloads from strangers. This includes cheat programs that may claim to help you perform better in the game, but really could be carrying malware.
Center for Information & Security Education and Research
Email: cinser@csu.edu
Website: www.cinser.net
Location: ED 107
Phone: 773-995-2509