October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and nothing is more important than the safety and security of our college. One of the most serious threats we, and many others, face today is from cyber criminals. Mohawk’s Information Technology team work round the clock to make sure that personal and critical business information remains secure and protected. But they can’t do it alone, we need your help.
Week 1: You got phished
Even the savviest tech expert can fall for a phishing attempt. This week, we’ll focus on actionable steps to take to recover from a phishing attack with topics including:
- How to tell if you have been phished
- Actionable steps to recover from a phishing attempt, such as:
- securing affected accounts
- setting up anti-virus software and automatic software updates
- data recovery and backup
- Reporting the scam
2021 Links
- Avoiding phishing scams
- Keeping private information private
- Using strong passphrases and complex passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Checkout the Cyber Security Web Series episodes 1 & 2 below
Week 2: Where, why and how it happens
The more you know about phishing, the easier it is to spot. This week, we’ll educate Canadians about what phishing is and where it happens, the motivation behind cyber threats and how it works. We’ll cover topics including:
- The different types of phishing (email, phone, online shopping, gaming, social media and direct messages)
- Phishing trends (banking, romance scams, event-based scams)
- How social engineering works
- Malware and ransomware
2021 Links
- Staying safe while file sharing
- Malware and antivirus software
- Storing and backing up data
- Checkout the Cyber Security Web Series episodes 3 & 4 below
Week 3: Prevention
Preventing a phishing scam is easier than dealing with one. This week, we’ll teach Canadians how to ruin a cyber criminal’s day by taking steps to protect themselves online, such as:
- Using strong and unique passphrases and passwords
- Using a password manager
- Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Regularly backing up your important data
- Protecting your small business against phishing attacks
2021 Links
- Using Wi-Fi safety
- Setting up a secure home network
- Workplace and career-specific cyber threats
- Checkout the Cyber Security Web Series episodes 5 & 6 below
Week 4: Putting it all together
Together, we can fight phishing. This week, we’ll encourage Canadians to teach others how to ruin a cyber criminal’s day by providing information they can easily share with colleagues, friends, relatives and neighbours, like:
- Learn to spot the 7 red flags of phishing
- Helping older adults get cyber safe
- Cyber security for children
- How to teach coworkers about phishing
2021 Links
- Keeping kids and families safe online
- Running a cyber safe business
- Checkout the Cyber Security Web Series episodes 7 & 8 below
Cyber Security Web Series
The National Cyber Security Alliance has released a mini-series highlighting the importance of security best practices in our daily activities. StaySafeOnline1 is the official YouTube channel of the National Cyber Security Alliance.
Episode 1: Passwords
Episode 2: Data Handling
Episode 3: Computer Theft
Episode 4: Phishing and Ransomware
Episode 5: Removable Media
Episode 6: Vishing
Episode 7: Internet Downloads
Episode 8: Wi-Fi
Take the Get Cyber Safe Checkup
You can start by taking stock of your own cyber security knowledge by taking the Get Cyber Safe Assessment Checkup.