Get Cyber Safe with Datanova

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and protecting the safety and security of our clients is our top priority. As part of our dedication to safeguarding your online security, we are sharing the following tips each week to help you better protect yourself at work and at home. We could write pages and pages and talk for days about safeguarding your information; however, here are three top things you can do to protect yourself:

Use Strong, Unique Passwords

Avoid using the same password across multiple accounts. Create strong, unique passwords by combining letters, numbers, and special characters, at least 15 characters long.
A great way to create a super long password is by writing a phrase and adding numbers and special characters. It’s easy for you to remember.
It’s important not to write your password down and leave it somewhere someone could access it. More importantly, never share your password with anyone, and change your password at least every 30 days.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Whenever possible, enable MFA on your accounts. This requires a second form of verification beyond just a password, providing added security.
Almost every application storing sensitive personal information has the ability to set up Multi-Factor Authentication. If you are storing sensitive data on an application and do not have the ability to set up MFA, you should not be using that app.
If you do not have MFA set up, consider yourself already hacked. One example of a common trend we see this year is email hijacking, where hackers gain access to your real email and start sending phishing emails from within your account. One way to prevent this, ensure that MFA is enabled.

Use a Trusted DNS Firewall

A DNS firewall protects your devices and blocks access to dangerous, malicious websites, giving you an extra layer of protection from phishing attacks, malware, and other online threats.
The service is free and easy to install.

See CIRA Canadian Shield for more details.

For more information, check out the following resources: