Happy October! Along with fall foliage, sweater weather, and shorter days, you’ve probably noticed Halloween-themed candy and décor lining store shelves. While the start of October may remind us that the spookiest day of the year is just around the corner, it also kicks off National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).

National Cyber Security Awareness Month reminds everyone to practice safe online habits — not just this month, but throughout the year.

We have resources to help. First, check out this video on computer security — it’ll go great with a handful of candy corn.

Next, make these four steps part of your computer security routine:

  1. Use security software — and keep it updated. Well-known companies offer plenty of free options. Set the software to update automatically.
  1. Keep your operating system and web browser up-to-date. Hackers take advantage of software that doesn’t have the latest security updates, so set your operating system and browser to update automatically, too.
  1. Create long, strong, and unique passwords for each account. Ok, maybe this one isn’t as easy, but it’s definitely worth it. You might be tempted to reuse the same password for multiple accounts, but if it’s stolen, hackers could gain access to many of your accounts at once.
  1. Sign up to get our blog updates by email. It’s a great way to hear about the latest online scams and learn how to avoid them. And it takes less than a minute to sign up.

Finally, have a safe Halloween and a secure National Cyber Security Awareness Month!