Bookmark This! Cybersecurity In the Workplace Edition
Technology is a big part of our personal and professional lives. And I don’t anticipate that changing anytime in the near future. But with technology comes risk and the need for cybersecurity. We need to be responsible technology users.
TechCrunch recently published five “how-to” guides focused on covering cybersecurity basics. If you’re not familiar, TechCrunch is a U.S. based publisher on technology industry news. They are owned by Verizon Media. The site has about 17M monthly readers worldwide. While I wouldn’t say this is everything that you need to know about cybersecurity, it’s an excellent start.
Why you need to use a password manager – Looking for a way to keep track of all your passwords? Or do you use the same password for everything because you don’t want to remember multiple passwords. It might be time to consider a password manager.
Two-factor authentication can save you from hackers – Many sites already use two-step authentication or verification. And while we know it’s to help us be safe on the web, it’s still a major PITA. Maybe if we learn more about how two-step authentication works, we won’t get quite as frustrated. And we’ll opt-in to use it.
How to protect your cell phone number and why you should care– According to Pew Research, ninety-five percent (95%) of Americans own a cell phone of some kind. This places a huge importance on a single device and protecting it from hackers is important.
How to browse the web securely and privately – Personally, I’ve become much more interested in learning about virtual private networks (VPNs) and HTTPS lately. Specifically, what they can and cannot do. Not because I’ve got some big, dark secret to hide. But if I’m doing a lot of work on the road, am I using the right technology the right way.
How to get started with encrypted messaging apps – Finally, short messaging service (aka SMS) has become a primary means of communication for some. I receive SMS messages to confirm appointments and get messages from family and friends. I want to know those messages are secure.
I can see these articles being a great primer for employees. Not only will it benefit them in their work, but it helps in their personal lives as well. It could also be something that employees share with their friends and family.
Helping employees become better with technology benefits everyone. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out these TechCrunch articles. And a huge thanks to TechCrunch for publishing them.
Oh, and P.S. Another component to cybersecurity is phishing. It’s defined as an attempt (usually via email) to trick you into giving away personal information. Google has published a “phishing quiz” which allows you to guess which emails are legit and which are fake. It’s not as easy as you might think. Heads up – the quiz asks you to provide a name and email address at the beginning. You can totally make one up. They’re not collecting information. But as you know, some phishing scams look pretty legit because they include your name.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the KronosWorks conference in Orlando, FL
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