7 most important cyber safety topics you should learn about

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and we love participating, as it is a way to help further educate everyone about staying safe on the Internet. To kick off the first week, we’re going to give you a crash course in basic cyber security 101. A lot of these topics will come up over the next month, so let’s make sure everyone knows what they mean.

1. Secure Passwords:

The keys to our digital kingdom, passwords should be closely protected. A lot of the times, that’s all a cybercriminal needs to gain access to your account. The following articles not only teach you about HOW to make secure passwords and protect them, but WHY as well.

• How To Choose a Secure Password

2. Malware:

Malware, malware, malware! You hear that term everywhere, however, it can mean so many different things. Malware is more of an umbrella term used for any kind of malicious software on the Internet landscape- from annoying adware to devastating ransomware, these articles will help explain to you the types of common malware, what it does, and how you can get it.

• How to remove malware from your PC or Mac
• What is a botnet?

3. Privacy:

If this isn’t an issue for you, it should be. A lot of people take the stance of “I don’t do anything wrong, therefore I have nothing to hide.” however that is largely misinterpreted. You have everything to hide. So many apps, websites and services we use online today host a trove of data about their users, they’re a goldmine for a cybercriminal. These articles will teach you about the importance of data privacy and how to make your digital footprint more secure online.

• How to protect your privacy online
• What is a VPN?
  

4. Data Breaches:

Data breaches are why we should care about our privacy. Scammers and criminals target companies in order to obtain as much data as possible about an individual, which in turn helps them commit identity theft or collect a hefty sum on the black market for the data. Learn about how data breaches happen and what to do if you happen to get involved in a data breach.

• What is a data breach?
• What is a privacy breach?
  

5. Safe Computing:

A lot of the threats today you can combat yourself, just armed with a little bit of knowledge. Internet security software is an essential piece of the cyber security pie, however, it can’t protect you form every single threat out there. Comprehensive Internet security software, coupled with a well educated user will go a long way on the threat landscape, so get your learn on, and empower yourself to navigate the web safely.

• 5 reasons why general software updates and patches are important
• 5 steps to wipe a computer hard drive
  

6. Online Scams:

cammers are the bottom of the barrel of Internet criminals. Online scams take hardly any technical skills to execute, yet so many people fall for them. You can find online scams everywhere today, from social media platforms to our private email accounts. These articles can teach you how to identify the common red flags found in most scams, and how to keep protected against them.

• Is that website you are on safe?
• 11 ways to help protect yourself against cybercrime
  

7. Mobile Protection:

There are just as many threats on the mobile landscape as there are with computers. With the popularity of smartphones and tablets on the rise, they are becoming more of a target to cybercriminals. Since we’re starting to use our smaller devices as we would a desktop or laptop computer, more of our personal data is stored on these devices and thieves are taking notice. Learn about the varied types of threats on the mobile landscape and how to stay safe.

• Mobile security 101