October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), an annual campaign to raise awareness and ensure that everyone has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. The National Cybersecurity Alliance and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched NCSAM in October 2004. Cybersecurity affects daily life for all of us. When we take steps to secure our connected devices and data, we all benefit.

Watch the IT@Cornell presentation: Trading Our Privacy.

Stop. Think. Connect. Stay safe online.

When using a laptop or any Internet-enabled device, consider the following:

• Regardless of how fast your fingers fly on a keyboard or phone, the best tool you have to help avoid online risks is your brain.  
• Stop and think before you post, share, or send. Do you trust the site you're on? How would you feel if your information ended up somewhere you didn’t intend?  
• Which websites are safe to visit, and what kind of information is acceptable and—more importantly—unacceptable to share online?  
• Many employers now consider personal data posted online when evaluating a candidate for a job. As the information you share on the Internet becomes increasingly accessible to others, what steps are you taking to manage your online brand?  
• While the Internet allows us to stay connected, informed, and involved with family and friends, any public environment requires situational awareness and caution. Just as you use locks to keep criminals out of your home, you also need safeguards to secure your computer.  
• As technology advances, so do the techniques cybercriminals use to gain access to your information.

#BeCyberSmart and #CyberAware. Remember, you may not consider yourself a target, but everyone has valuable information sought by attackers, such as employee and customer records, bank account information, access to finances, and a point of entry into larger personal or computer networks.