Cyber Security And Digital Security
Cybersecurity, also known as digital security, is the practice of protecting your digital information, devices, and assets. This includes your personal information, accounts, files, photos, and even money.
CIA
The acronym "CIA" is most often used to represent three pillars of cybersecurity.
Privacy - Keeping your secrets and ensuring only authorized people can access your files and accounts.
Integrity – Making sure your information is as it should be and that no one has added, changed or deleted anything without your permission. For example, maliciously changing numbers in a spreadsheet.
Access - Ensuring you can access your information and systems when you need it. An example of an access issue is a denial of service attack, where attackers flood your system with network traffic to make accessing it nearly impossible; or ransomware that encrypts your system and prevents you from using it.
Security is a process, not a product
While security applications and devices such as anti-malware software and firewalls are necessary, it is not enough to just install these tools and call them good. Digital security also requires implementing a number of thoughtful processes and practices. These include:
Data backups – Important data should be stored in a safe place, and you should be able to restore a good, tested copy of that data in case something bad happens to the file.
Good cyber habits – Do not open unexpected links or attachments you may receive in email or text, even if they appear to be from a trusted sender.
Keeping your software up to date – Operating systems such as Windows, MacOS, iOS or Android, as well as apps and browsers, should be kept up to date with the latest patches and fixes from the manufacturer.
Use strong, unique passwords - Good passwords should be at least 14 characters long, be English words and not be reused across multiple accounts.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication – Whenever possible, enable multi-factor authentication to keep your accounts more secure, both at home and at work.
Tip: The free Microsoft Authenticator app can even help you with accounts from Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other companies. You can learn more about using the Microsoft Authenticator app.
Lock your devices – Make sure your devices require a password, PIN, or biometric authentication such as fingerprint or facial recognition to sign in. Lost or stolen devices can be a goldmine for criminals if they can easily access data from an unlocked device.
Cybersecurity is a team sport
If you see anything suspicious or suspect you may have been hacked, reach out to a trusted advisor. If this is at work or school, report it to your organization's IT department as soon as possible. It's possible that this is a false alarm, but your IT admin will be more relieved to discover it's a false alarm than to be alarmed to discover that something bad happened and no one reported it.
And feel free to share good safety practices, tips, or resources with friends or family that you think might be helpful. If you found them helpful, others may be able to help, too.
