As Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM) approaches the halfway point, this week’s Get Cyber Safe theme revolves around “Sharing special moments.”

More specifically, the Government of Canada’s initiative on cybersecurity awareness for individuals, as well as, for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMB’s) delves into three key points to consider:

1. Staying safe while file sharing,
2. Installing malware and antivirus software,
3. and storing and backing up data.

This article elaborates on these critical points and provides practical steps you can easily take to stay safe online.

How to share files safely?

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Dropbox, and an endless number of social networks (and applications) are part of our daily lives. We share documents, videos, pictures of our families and tell others when we go on vacations. However, little do we think about the risks we expose ourselves to when sharing vital information about our lives. As a result, we become targets of cyberattacks such as viruses, phishing scams, harassment, ransomware, and information theft.

When you download a file, it passes completely from the Internet to your device, hence the importance of taking precautions so that a file does not run a malicious program that takes over your computer.

As part of our cybersecurity services, we recommend installing an antivirus program and ensuring it is always up to date will help you counteract programs that could infect your computer. A few other tips on file downloading are as follows:

• File downloading over the web: Do not download files from suspicious pages on the Internet, primarily via torrents.
• File downloading via email: If the file arrives via email, check the sender, and if it is not trusted, do not download the file until you are sure of its content.
• File types: Be very careful with certain types of files. Avoid downloading those that end in the extensions .exe, .scr, .bat, .com or .pif, unless you are certain of their content.

Cybersecurity Awareness and Social Media

When dealing with social networks, make sure you also do the following:

• Check Links: When you open a link from your social networks, verify that the domain is correct and not a false page and that HTTPS encryption is used at all times.
• Privacy: Configure the privacy options of your social networks in a way that leaves the least amount of information visible to people you do not know.
• Sketchy Accounts: Do not follow accounts of unknown people or accept them on your social networks. This way, you will avoid receiving messages that violate your security as much as possible.
• Forms: Try not to fill out forms that promise you prizes or money just by giving your information.
• Passwords: Use strong passwords with combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters, characters, and numbers. Most social channels also provide two-factor authentication options.
• Hacked Friends: Always question links sent by friends. You never know if their accounts have been hacked and hackers are targetting their contact lists.

Why are “secure” backups so important?

Ransomware is a form of malware that is on the rise. Cybercriminals lock user files or devices and then claim anonymous online payment to restore access. This is why backups are essential.

But unfortunately, having a backup strategy alone is not enough, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Ransomware has evolved in such a way that cybercriminals are now able to encrypt not only your files but also your backups. Here are the recommendations on securing your backups for cybersecurity awareness:

• Isolate backups: The more barriers between an infected system and the backups, the more difficult it will be for the malicious programs to access them. Make sure you have a different set of credentials (username and password) for your backups to make this step more complex for hackers.
• Multiple copies in different locations. Apply the 3-2-1 rule. That is, having at least three copies of the most critical files, two other backup methods, and one in a different location.

Each of us has a role to play to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. And advocacy campaigns like CSAM are vital to educate and raise awareness about the importance of ensuring you and I are safe online.

Rhyno Cybersecurity services is pleased to support these initiatives on both sides of the border by providing free cybersecurity resources and advice to help you become more aware of the cares and threats present in cyberspace.

Are you ready to start the #CSAM2021 ? Contact Rhyno for a Demo today!

About Rhyno Cybersecurity

Rhyno Cybersecurity is a Canadian-based company focusing on 24/7 Managed Detection and Response, Penetration Testing, Enterprise Cloud, and Cybersecurity Solutions for small and midsize businesses.

Our products and services are robust, innovative, and cost-effective. Underpinned by our 24x7x365 Security Operations Centre (SOC), our experts ensure you have access to cybersecurity expertise when you need it the most.