Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and nothing is more important than the safety and security of our college. One of the most serious threats we, and many others, face today is from cyber criminals. Mohawk’s Information Technology team work round the clock to make sure that personal and critical business information remains secure and protected.  But they can’t do it alone, we need your help.

Week 1: You got phished

Even the savviest tech expert can fall for a phishing attempt. This week, we’ll focus on actionable steps to take to recover from a phishing attack with topics including:

  • How to tell if you have been phished
  • Actionable steps to recover from a phishing attempt, such as:
    • securing affected accounts
    • setting up anti-virus software and automatic software updates
    • data recovery and backup
  • Reporting the scam

2021 Links

Week 2: Where, why and how it happens

The more you know about phishing, the easier it is to spot. This week, we’ll educate Canadians about what phishing is and where it happens, the motivation behind cyber threats and how it works. We’ll cover topics including:

  • The different types of phishing (email, phone, online shopping, gaming, social media and direct messages)
  • Phishing trends (banking, romance scams, event-based scams)
  • How social engineering works
  • Malware and ransomware

2021 Links

Week 3: Prevention

Preventing a phishing scam is easier than dealing with one. This week, we’ll teach Canadians how to ruin a cyber criminal’s day by taking steps to protect themselves online, such as:

  • Using strong and unique passphrases and passwords
  • Using a password manager
  • Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Regularly backing up your important data
  • Protecting your small business against phishing attacks

2021 Links

Week 4: Putting it all together

Together, we can fight phishing. This week, we’ll encourage Canadians to teach others how to ruin a cyber criminal’s day by providing information they can easily share with colleagues, friends, relatives and neighbours, like:

  • Learn to spot the 7 red flags of phishing
  • Helping older adults get cyber safe
  • Cyber security for children
  • How to teach coworkers about phishing

2021 Links

Cyber Security Web Series

The National Cyber Security Alliance has released a mini-series highlighting the importance of security best practices in our daily activities. StaySafeOnline1 is the official YouTube channel of the National Cyber Security Alliance.

Episode 1: Passwords

Episode 2: Data Handling

Episode 3: Computer Theft

Episode 4: Phishing and Ransomware

Episode 5: Removable Media

Episode 6: Vishing

Episode 7: Internet Downloads

Episode 8: Wi-Fi

Take the Get Cyber Safe Checkup

You can start by taking stock of your own cyber security knowledge by taking the Get Cyber Safe Assessment Checkup.