Cybersecurity Awareness Month is recognized nationally and annually in October. The month is dedicated to increasing awareness of cybersecurity and teaching individuals how to stay safe on the internet.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Cybersecurity Awareness Month has been happening since October 2004.
James Raber, associate chief information officer in the Division of Information Technology, said the university has also been recognizing this since 2004 as well.
Cybersecurity awareness is vital information for everyone because technology is an integral aspect of daily life for most people.
“We can make sure there are firewalls and other protections [online], but at the end of the day, there is an individual responsibility for anyone using tech to be safe on it,” Raber said.
He said cybersecurity “creates a layer of integrity around” some of the common things people do on the internet, such as shopping and viewing banking information, “to make sure that malicious individuals are not stealing information and the user is well informed on the practices to stay safe.”
Tom Schindler, associate director of Information Technology, believes that cybersecurity is “protecting your digital identity and putting basic protections around it, while also making sure people know how to do that.”
Not being aware of how to practice cybersecurity places individuals at a greater risk for phishing, information theft and being hacked.
“The phishing scheme is very common; usually, we see the financial aspect, trying to get into a bank account or Bankmobile,” Schindler said.
There are other common internet schemes, such as text messages claiming to need your information that falsely claim to be from a well-known organization. A recent instance of a text message scam is the messages sent out during the summer, claiming to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles, alerting people of unpaid tolls.
According to Raber, the IT department has seen an increase in this particular type of scam, and they advise some precautions when encountering them.
“If you receive a text like this that wants you to follow a link, don’t. Instead, go to the organization’s page directly to check your info. These bad actors are good at creating fake websites that look very real,” Raber said.
During this month, Kent State acknowledged this cause by hosting training sessions about internet safety and sending campus-wide emails. They concluded the training this week by conducting an overview of all of the training material covered and introducing some new tips.
The previous training guides from this month on cybersecurity will remain available to be accessed through SecureIT, “security awareness training.”
“The training and emails will help students and staff to understand the basics, such as creating good passwords and avoiding phishing,” Schindler said.
To prevent students and staff from placing their devices in compromising situations, Raber and Schindler discussed some security practices.
“Just paying attention to the things in the news would be helpful. One website that is helpful for compromises is Have I Been Pwned. It helps you learn if your information or passwords have been compromised,” Schindler said.
Another tip Raber suggests is “practicing what we have recommended and cyber hygiene.”
Cybersecurity is an individual responsibility, but individuals can increase cybersecurity by helping others remain cyber safe.
“A big part of it is the younger generation helping the older generation, making sure your grandparents know these things and helping them set up stuff, so they can’t be taken advantage of,” Schindler said.
According to Schindler, it is important for young people to help the older generation, but it is equally important for students to help their peers if they are giving out their data dangerously, Raber suggests.
“If you have a social group and you see someone giving out their data, make recommendations to your friends,” Raber said.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is only an annual time of recognition, but it is important to remain aware of its importance at all times.
“Cybersecurity is something we live; it is a 24-hour, 365-day thing,” Raber said.
To help people practice cybersecurity, Raber and Schindler compiled a list of tips:
- Reboot your phone and devices every month.
- Check app permissions before downloading an app.
- Don’t share credentials with anyone.
- Make unique, relatively complex passwords, and use password managers to keep track.
- Whenever possible, use multi-factor authentication.
- Allow automatic updates.
- Exercise skepticism and scrutiny, and check to make sure information is true.
- Be aware of what information you have consented to give out.
Joi Sims is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].