October is Cyber Security Awareness Month

SPRINGFIELD – Every day, more companies and individuals fall victim to cyber criminals who want access to bank accounts, personal information, or proprietary information to blackmail information owners. Since 2004, October has been designated as Cyber Security Awareness Month. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency has tips to better secure your data, including choosing long, complicated passwords, multi-factor authentication, update your software, and use a critical eye on all emails. If something looks strange, don’t click it and immediately report any phishing attempts.
“Each one of us needs to learn our technological vulnerabilities so we can click with confidence,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau.
“Bad actors may try to entice you into clicking on an email by posing as your employer’s human resources office, information technology (IT) staff, banking or credit card representatives, or even your boss,” explained Tate-Nadeau. “We recommend that you carefully review every email, including the sender’s email address and writing style, before clicking on anything.”
More information can be found on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is the federal government agency that monitors cyber security: https://www.cisa.gov/cyber-safety