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National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

  • Published
  • By Wing Cybersecurity Office
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month. In order to engage participants to create a safe, secure and resilient cyber environment, each week in October is dedicated to a specific cyber topic.

Oct. 1 through Oct. 3 was "Stop, Think, Connect."
STOP: Before you use the Internet, take time to understand the risks and learn how to spot potential problems.
THINK: Take a moment to be certain the path ahead is clear. Watch for warning signs and consider how your actions online could impact you, or your family's safety.
CONNECT: Enjoy the Internet with greater confidence, knowing you've taken the right steps to safeguard yourself and your computer.
For Air Mobility Command, we utilize the R.E.A.D. methodology: Is your email Relevant, Expected, Addressed correctly and Digitally signed? Know the indicators!

Oct. 4 through Oct. 10 was "Creating a culture of cybersecurity at work (Phishing Threat)."
Phishing is today's top online threat. By definition, phishing is a scam by which an email user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly. Phishing warning signs include urging a victim to "act quickly" because an account could be suspended or closed, generic greetings, asking the victim to validate or update information such as account numbers, poor grammar and misspellings, unusual content, unknown links, plausible senders or fake websites.

Oct. 11 through Oct. 17 was "Staying protected while always connected."
When creating passwords make sure to utilize at least eight characters and that the password doesn't spell a single dictionary word. Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, at least one number and a character that isn't a letter or number. Commit your password to memory and change it often. When sharing information, be careful about sharing your location, work schedule or vacation details. Never share information that provides clues to your passwords. Protect your money when online banking or shopping. When making transactions online, look for the lock symbol in the address bar alongside the website name. The lock indicates the site is encrypted. Practice safe social networking by checking out the privacy and security settings of your social network. Never include phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, work details or information about your children.

Oct. 18 through Oct. 24 is "Air Force's Evolving Digital Life."
Gartner Inc. predicts there will be five billion network or Internet-enabled devices by the end of 2015 and 25 billion (three devices for every person on the planet) by the end of 2020. Keep security software current, anti-malware programs scan and monitor your devices for known viruses and spyware. Regularly install updates for all your software and subscribe to automatic updates whenever possible. Along with computers, smart phones, gaming systems and other web-enabled devices also need protection from viruses and malware.

Oct. 25 through Oct. 31 is "The next generation of Airmen as a Cyber Enabled Professional."
Since the Air Force's official arm of U.S. Cyber Command, 24th Air Force, became operational, the numbered command has grown to more than 5,400 Airmen, civilians and contractor personnel providing around-the-clock support to protect and defend Department of Defense networks.

Practice safe cybersecurity to keep yourself, family and Air Force assets safe. Contact the Wing Cybersecurity Office with any questions at (509) 247-1032