Information provided by Cybersecurity & Infrastruction Security Agency of the United States of America (CISA.gov)

Staying Safe Online is Easier Than You Think

Every day we are more and more connected—whether messaging family and friends, shopping online or ordering supplies for our small businesses. It’s important to take steps to stay safe when using our phones, laptops and smart devices. The Cybersecurity & Infrastruction Security Agency of the United States of America, also known as CISA, provides important information to help.   Their "We can Secure Our World" resources provide simple actions you can take each day when connected that will help you stop cyber crime. 

Secure Our World:  Four Easy Ways to Stay Safe Online

Online criminals look for easy targets, like people who don’t take basic precautions. If we take the following four steps, we won’t be as vulnerable to their deceptive tactics. It will be much harder to scam us or steal our information. 

• Step 1:  Recognize & Report Phishing  (links to CISA.gov details)

Phishing often tries to get us to open a harmful attachment or share personal information. Learn what to look for to avoid the "phish hook."

• Step 2:  Use Strong Passwords  (links to CISA.gov details)

Using strong passwords and a password manager are some easy ways to protect ourselves from someone logging into an account and stealing data or money.

• Step 3:  Turn On Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)   (links to CISA.gov details)

​Multifactor authentication means using more than a password to access an app or account. With MFA, we might be asked to enter a text code or use a fingerprint. It makes us much safer from someone accessing our accounts.

• Step 4:  Update Software  (links to CISA.gov details)

Don't delay software updates. Flaws in software can give criminals access to files or accounts. Programmers fix these flaws as soon as they can, but we must install updates for the latest protection!​

Simple Steps to Protect Your Family

The following video illustrates how easy it is to protect yourselves from cyber criminals.

(direct link to YouTube video above:  https://youtu.be/4E6a-8HuccA?si=DPr_SjhMo6MjqqQC )

Other Resources

CISA Resources - Learn more about the four ways to stay safe online with Tip Sheets, translated in various languages, and other resources.

CISA Resources 

BCT Online Security - How to protect your bank accounts, what steps to take should your accounts be compromised, what steps to take should your identity be stolen, how to contact credit bureaus, and more helpful information directly related to BCT.

BCT Online Security