Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a nationwide initiative centered on raising awareness about online safety to empower individuals, businesses, and communities to protect themselves from cyber threats. Led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cybersecurity Alliance, Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights proactive steps to enhance and ensure the security of personal and work-related private information.
The Guilford County Information Technology Department is joining in the effort by sharing practical tips and resources to help residents keep their information and data safe and secure online.
Tips to Stay Safe Online and Protect Personal Data
Long, complex, and unique passwords are recommended for protecting social media, email, and any online accounts. Use a password manager to generate passwords and save them securely. Don’t reuse passwords, generate a unique password for each of your online accounts.
Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts, or calls asking you for personal information. Don't click on links or open attachments from unknown sources.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) provides an extra layer of protection for your accounts, personal devices, and business networks. Enable the feature wherever possible. For extra security, it is highly recommended to have more than just a password on important accounts, such as your email, credit card, bank, or any other financial accounts.
Enabling automatic software updates allows your devices, and applications to receive the latest security patches and remain continuously up to date.