Staying Safe and Secure in the Cyber World

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education is a non-profit dedicated to making a difference in communities worldwide by educating the public on cyber safety and assisting organizations and the public in protecting themselves from cyber risk.

The Center created multiple programs that keep our communities and businesses safe. Businesses and students are common victims of cyber threats. It is important to know what to look out for to avoid cybercrime and how to keep yourself safe and secure online.

Cyber Safety in Business

Businesses worldwide can be victims of cyber threats. Phishing, malware and data breaches are popular, and staying safe online can be difficult. This is why the Center created the Cybersecurity Health Check program.

Our Cybersecurity Health Check program pairs volunteers with small businesses, utilizing their time and skills to help them understand and mitigate their cyber risk. This program is completely free to small businesses.

Here are some helpful tools that we offer to small businesses on how to stay cyber-safe:

1. Use Strong Passwords
2. Create unique passwords for each account
3. Combine letters, numbers and special characters
4. Consider using a password manager
5. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
6. Regularly update software
7. Be cautious of emails
8. Check the sender’s address
9. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading unknown attachments
10. Backup data regularly
11. Implement network security measures
12. Use firewalls and intrusion detection systems
13. Invest in cybersecurity tools
14. Use antivirus programs and endpoint protection solutions

Cyber Safety for Students

While businesses are popular victims of cyber threats, students and youth are often victims of cyber crimes as well. It is crucial that students know how to protect themselves in the digital age, which is why the Center created our Safe and Secure Online program.

The Safe and Secure Online program is dedicated to empowering youth, college students, parents and adults/senior citizens to protect themselves in the digital age by learning safe cybersecurity practices. Our volunteers go into their local communities and raise awareness about cyber safety and how people can keep themselves safe and secure while online.

We offer two presentations dedicated to youth and college students where we cover basic cyber safety practices and the importance of keeping yourself safe on social media. Here are some helpful tips that we offer youth and college students to keep them cyber-safe:

1. Create strong and unique passwords for every site
2. Do not check your bank account information on open Wi-Fi
3. Never send sensitive information over email
4. When posting pictures on social media, deactivate geotagging from your photos
5. Avoid student/scholarship scams by contacting financial aid if you have questions about a scholarship, especially if you haven’t applied for it
6. Backup your data using cloud services or an external portable storage device
7. Be vigilant about reviewing your credit card statements
8. Shred all documents with personal information that you don’t need
9. Do not give your password out to your friends or people online
10. What goes online stays online, so think about what you’re posting, sharing or sending

Staying safe and secure online can be difficult for anyone. Data breaches in businesses can be detrimental to the entire business. Phishing emails and the misuse of social media can negatively impact an individual's or student’s life. The tips/tools above can be helpful in staying cyber safe and fighting cybercrime!

For more information and resources about how to stay cyber safe, please visit: iamcybersafe.org.

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