Simple Steps to Online Safety
Staying safe and secure online is our shared responsibility. Here is easy-to-follow,
actionable advice for everyone.
- STOP: make sure security measures are in place.
- THINK: about the consequences of your actions and behaviors online.
- CONNECT: and enjoy the internet.
It is critical for anyone using the internet to continually learn about and consistently
practice good cybersecurity habits. To better protect yourself, you should secure your home
networks and mobile devices and take the time to learn how to use the internet more safely,
securely and responsibly. View these tip sheets to address the top consumer cyber concerns,
provide simple steps to protect against these concerns and teach you what to do if you fall
victim to cybercrime.
Online Cybersecurity Tip Sheet For All Digital Citizens
Safe Online
Shopping
Stay #CyberAware While On the Go – Safety Tips for Mobile
Devices
What To Do If You Are A Victim Of Cybercrime
Tips for Passwords & Securing Your Accounts
Privacy Tips for Using Public Computers & Wireless
Networks
Simple Cybersecurity Tips for Staying Safe Online During Tax Time
More Cybersecurity Tips
Understand your digital profile.
Internet-based devices are present in every aspect of our lives: at home, school, work,
and on the go. Constant connection provides opportunities for innovation and
modernization, but also presents opportunities for potential cybersecurity
threats that can compromise your most important personal information. Understand
the devices and applications you use every day to help keep you and
your information safe and secure.
- Top Tip: Never click and tell. Limit what information you post
on social media—from personal addresses to where you like to grab
coffee. What many people don’t realize is that these seemingly random details
are all criminals need to know to target you, your loved ones, and
your physical belongings—online and in the physical world. Keep Social
Security numbers, account numbers, and passwords private, as well as specific
information about yourself, such as your full name, address, birthday,
and even vacation plans. Disable location services that allow anyone to see
where you are – and where you aren’t – at any given time. Read
the Social Media
Cybersecurity Tip Sheet for more information.
- Top Tip: Keep tabs on your apps. Most connected appliances, toys,
and devices are supported by a mobile application. Your mobile device could be
filled with suspicious apps running in the background or using default permissions
you never realized you approved—gathering your personal information
without your knowledge while also putting your identity and privacy at risk.
Check your app permissions and use the “rule of least privilege”
to delete what you don’t need or no longer use. Learn to just say
“no” to privilege requests that don’t make sense. Only download
apps from trusted vendors and sources.
Tip Sheets:
Cybersecurity While Traveling
Online
Privacy
Social Media Cybersecurity
Internet of
Things
Secure your digital profile.
Cybercriminals are very good at getting personal information from unsuspecting victims,
and the methods are getting more sophisticated as technology evolves. Protect
against cyber threats by learning about security features available on the equipment
and software you use. Apply additional layers of security to your devices
– like Multi-Factor Authentication – to better protect your personal
information.
- Top Tip: Double your login protection. Enable
multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure that the only person who has
access to your account is you. Use it for email, banking, social media, and any
other service that requires logging in. If MFA is an option, enable it by
using a trusted mobile device, such as your smartphone, an authenticator app, or a
secure token—a small physical device that can hook onto your key ring.
Read the Multi-Factor
Authentication (MFA) How-to-Guide for more information.
- Top Tip: Shake up your password protocol. According to National
Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) guidance, you should consider using
the longest password or passphrase permissible. Get creative and customize
your standard password for different sites, which can prevent cybercriminals from
gaining access to these accounts and protect you in the event of a breach. Use
password managers to generate and remember different, complex passwords for each
of your accounts. Read the Creating A
Password Tip Sheet for more information.
- Top Tip: Play hard to get with strangers. Cybercriminals
use phishing tactics, hoping to fool their victims. If you’re unsure who
an email is from—even if the details appear accurate— or if the email
looks “phishy,” do not respond and do not click on any links or
attachments found in that email. When available use the “junk”
or “block” option to no longer receive messages from a particular
sender.
Tip Sheets:
Creating A
Password
A How-To-Guide
For Multi-Factor Authentication
5 Ways To Be Cyber Secure
At Work
Phishing
E-Skimming
Maintain your digital profile.
Every click, share, send, and post you make creates a digital trail that can be
exploited by cybercriminals. To protect yourself from becoming a cybercrime victim
you must understand, secure, and maintain your digital profile. Be familiar with
and routinely check privacy settings to help protect your privacy and limit
cybercrimes.
- Top Tip: If you connect, you must protect. Whether it’s
your computer, smartphone, game device, or other network devices, the best
defense against viruses and malware is to update to the latest security software,
web browser, and operating systems. Sign up for automatic updates, if you can,
and protect your devices with antivirus software. Read the Phishing Tip
Sheet for more information.
- Top Tip: Stay protected while connected. Before you connect
to any public wireless hotspot – like at an airport, hotel, or café
– be sure to confirm the name of the network and exact login
procedures with appropriate staff to ensure that the network is legitimate. If
you do use an unsecured public access point, practice good Internet hygiene
by avoiding sensitive activities (e.g., banking) that require passwords or
credit cards. Your personal hotspot is often a safer alternative to free
Wi-Fi. Only use sites that begin with “https://” when online
shopping or banking.
Tip Sheets:
Social Media Bots
Overview
Understanding Foreign Interference In 5 Steps
Identity Theft and
Internet Scams
5 Steps To Protecting Your Digital Home
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