We have covered several methods that cybercriminals use to get your information or your money. Hopefully, you have learned a lot and taken steps to make your online presence more secure. However, there is more to cybersecurity than just protecting yourself. Cyber-champions actively help others around them avoid traps set by cyber-thieves. Cyber-champions are valuable in their workplace, families, and social groups because they work where there is the greatest vulnerability… human error.
“Human error was found to be the cause of 95% of data breaches.”
This startling statistic shows that it is important to not only learn about cybersecurity but practice it in our daily lives and encourage others around us to be on their guard.
Learn
The first step to becoming a cyber champion is learning for yourself and understanding the threats that you face. This starts with awareness and education efforts provided by the Information Security Office, but the real champions go further. Finding new ways to trick people is literally a job requirement for online thieves. With scam artists working full time to separate victims from their money and personal information, it is important to stay informed about the latest threats out there.
- Website of official sites and articles such as socialcatfish.com, thehackernews, cybersecurity insiders
- Official sites: CISA , danielmiessler , itsecurityguru
- Podcasts: darknetdiaries , thecyberwire ,
- Reddit r/scams, r/cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity bloggers on You Tube Computerphile, Grant Collins, Professor Messer
Participate
Once you have a foundation of knowledge and cyber skills, you must practice what you have learned. Cyber champion’s practice the following:
- Review links in emails before opening them (hover on a computer, touch and hold on a phone/tablet).
- Update software and restart your computer often.
- Validate suspicious callers by contacting the business/company at their official number before providing information.
- Use a password manager to help you have different secure passwords for each service.
- Use multi-factor authentication (sometimes called two-factor or 2FA/MFA) when possible.
- Report suspicious emails, calls, or activity as soon as possible.
Advocate
The final phase to becoming a cyber champion is promoting what you have learned and know with others.
If you want to be a cyber champion, we recommend doing the following:
- Request a cybersecurity training for your department (email informationsecurityoffice@ilstu.edu).
- Share our articles with your colleagues and classmates.
- Connect others with the Information Security Office as a resource for them to be cyber safe.
- Promote the importance of cybersecurity when working with those outside of the University.
