Cyber Security Month: Staying Safe Online
October is Cyber Security Month. In 2004, Congress and President George W. Bush declared October Cyber Security Awareness Month. The main goal is to help educate people about threats online, including how to protect their confidential data. In addition, both the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) help raise awareness about staying safe online nationally and internationally.
What You Should Know About Staying Safe Online
There are many scary and spooky things online, whether scammers target adults or children. Here are the top five ways to protect yourself during Cyber Security Month and year-round.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication – While receiving an email or text code might seem unnecessary before logging into your account, this helps verify that you’re logging in and not a hacker. Take the extra time to set up multi-factor authentication on all your accounts (if available).
- Strong Passwords – Always use strong passwords with a mix of upper and lower case characters. If you have a difficult time coming up with strong passwords, consider using LastPass random password generator. Additionally, watch this short video on how to create a strong password.
- Report Phishing – Be aware of phishing, a type of email or text scam that pretends to be from a reputable company asking you to login into your account through a link to trick you into providing your passwords and even credit card login information. If you’re ever in doubt about an email or text you receive, check the email address or phone number and visit the website directly, never by clicking the link. If you believe an email is phishing, report it as spam. The more you report spam emails, the better your spam filter will block them.
- Update Software – Regularly check for software updates on your desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. Updates can provide critical security features, as developers are constantly working to make software stronger to help minimize hacking.
- Password Protection Software – Invest in good password protection software. Not sure where to begin for staying safe online? Read this list for a reputable list of password managers.
Home Telecom’s MyWiFi Xtreme Targets Cyber Security Month
To celebrate Cyber Security Month, Home Telecom features MyWiFi Xtreme, which provides reliable, fast home Wi-Fi to Home Telecom customers. Not only will you get blazing quick speeds and extended Wi-Fi coverage, but you’ll be able to quickly and easily control your network at your fingertips. Here are some of the top-rated security features of MyWifi Xtreme to help you stay safe online.
- Quickly change your Wi-Fi password.
- Create a separate network for guests, pet sitters, etc.
- My Wi-Fi Xtreme actively monitors your home’s incoming traffic.
- Block all suspicious activity and potential threats.
- Provides security monitoring with a database that receives weekly updates.
- Actively uses intrusion prevention settings (IPS) to help monitor, notify and prevent hacker activity in Wi-Fi-connected streams.
- Will terminate data transfers before malicious payloads are delivered on vulnerable network devices.
- Notifies you when security issues are detected and triggered, including what device, where and when the potential attack occurred.
If you are interested in learning more about Home Telecom’s MyWiFi Xtreme, sign up today or contact us at 888-746-4482.