HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen joins organizations across the country in recognizing October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officially launched Cybersecurity Awareness Month this week. CISA has partnered with the National Cybersecurity Alliance each October for the past 19 years to raise cybersecurity awareness nationally and internationally. This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber.”
The Secretary of State’s Office reminds Montanans to be aware of and stay safe from potential cybersecurity threats, including phishing, malware, and ransomware.
“It’s important for Montanans to recognize and understand the red flags, maintain awareness, and have a plan to act in the instance a cyber attack occurs,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “By being prepared, Montana businesses can continue to thrive.”
CISA also provided the following action steps all individuals, businesses, government agencies, and all other organizations should take:
- Think Before You Click: Recognize and Report Phishing: If a link looks a little off, think before you click. It could be an attempt to get sensitive information or install malware.
- Update Your Software: Don’t delay — If you see a software update notification, act promptly. Better yet, turn on automatic updates.
- Use Strong Passwords: Use passwords that are long, unique, and randomly generated. Use password managers to generate and remember different, complex passwords for each of your accounts. A passwords manager will encrypt passwords securing them for you!
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication: You need more than a password to protect your online accounts, and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked.
