October Is Cybersecurity Awareness Month  

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we will focus on three simple actions – STOP, LOOK, and THINK – to stay vigilant and secure. 

According to the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation’s Cyber Command, 38 percent of City employees regularly demonstrate risky behavior during their regularly held phishing simulations. To reduce these risks, please follow these recommendations: 

Slow down and… check links! 

Don’t…immediately click links or open attachments sent to you.  

Fake websites, emails, and malicious attachments are still a cyber criminal’s preferred tools. Check out this video to learn more: Links and Attachments: Think Before You Click. 

Don’t immediately visit links or open attachments sent to you – make sure they’re legit first.  

LOOK…for fake links by hovering your mouse over it to see where it takes you.

Slow down and…verify senders! 

Cyber criminals may have computer skills, but they prefer to bypass the technology and play tricks instead. That’s called “social engineering.” Learn more about it here: AI, Phishing, and Cybersafety. 

Don’t be an easy target. STOP social engineering. Slow down and verify every claim and request for sensitive information or immediate action. 

STOP…don’t immediately believe the unverified sender or caller – even if it looks official or claims to be someone you know. 

LOOK…and check if it is legitimate by going straight to the source. 

THINK…and “sound the alarm” by reporting a suspicious email or phone call.  

Slow down and… secure your device! 

Don’t…allow your mobile device to be a target.  

Mobile devices allow us to comfortably and conveniently complete tasks in almost every area of our work and personal lives. QR code scanning is an example of convenience, but it’s also a sneaky method used by cyber criminals. Watch how to avoid QR Code attacks. 

Don’t invite cyber threats to your mobile device!  

STOP…and don’t rush to click, scan, or believe unverified sources and codes.  

LOOK…and check that your phone and apps are up to date. Updates contain important security patches.  

THINK…to stay ahead of cyber criminals, and turn on extra layers of security (face ID, fingerprint scanning, code verification, etc.). 

Download the NYC Secure App for another layer of protection. 

Slow down and… protect your data! 

Don’t…overlook the security of your data.  

Your data is a valuable currency. Protect and secure it.  

STOP…and make copies of files to a secure location. 

LOOK…for any old or unnecessary files that have sensitive information and delete them. 

THINK…of complex and strong passwords and use them on different accounts. 

The majority of data breaches involve human error – so we all must STOP, LOOK, and THINK!