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Cybersecurity

Protecting yourself in a digital world

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What is cybersecurity?

  • Cybersecurity is a set of practices designed to protect digital data and information
  • Applies to data both online and offline
    • Documents
    • Account credentials
    • Personal information
    • Client information
    • Emails and other private messages

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Why is cybersecurity important?

  • Our reliance on digital data and information is immense and is only increasing
  • Information stored digitally is increasingly sensitive
  • It’s easier for us to access our information, which means it’s potentially easier for attackers as well
  • Security breaches are disruptive and costly
    • Average 2021 recovery cost from a ransomware attack was $1.85 million
    • Numerous attacks occur daily to both organizations and individuals
  • Everyone is affected

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What are the threats?

  • Malicious software
    • Viruses or any unwanted or harmful program
  • Unauthorized access
    • Hacked accounts, stolen passwords, intercepted traffic, unauthorized physical access
  • Phishing, hoaxes, & user fraud
  • Hardware failure

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Ok…so why should I care?�Isn’t that what IT is for?!

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Why should I care?

  • We all have a part to play in cybersecurity
  • It’s impossible to combat all threats to cybersecurity with technology alone
  • Many attacks revolve around tricking users
    • Phishing schemes
    • Social engineering
  • Users are an important line of defense

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How do I protect myself? (Malware)

  • Practice safe web browsing
    • Don’t click links from unsolicited/suspicious sources
    • Don’t click on ads
    • Don’t install toolbars or unrecognized extensions
    • Don’t download/run unrecognized files or email attachments
  • Report infections ASAP
    • Signs include: sudden system slowdown, frequent popups, program or system crashes, unexpected system changes, unusual error messages
  • Have good backups of all important files!

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How do I protect myself? (Unauthorized access)

  • Don’t give your password to ANYONE for ANYTHING
  • Don’t reuse the same password for different accounts (especially email)
  • Don’t leave work or public computers unattended when logged in
  • Be careful where you enter sensitive information online

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How do I protect myself? (Phishing)

  • Don’t send confidential information through email
  • Only click links in emails from sources you are familiar with and absolutely trust
  • Watch for generic, urgent, or suspiciously worded emails
  • Verify the sender’s email address*

*Useful to detect scams, but doesn’t rule one out

  • Mark suspected emails as spam

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How do I protect myself?�(Hardware failure)

  • Have good backups of all important files!
    • Back up to servers, Google Drive or other online/cloud file storage
    • USB/thumb drives are ok as backup/temporary storage, but NOT primary storage
    • Make sure backups are current and accessible

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Closing summary

  • Use these concepts at work and outside of work
  • You don’t need to be an IT professional to be safe
    • Be observant
    • Use common sense