Information Security Awareness
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March is Fraud Prevention Month!
Don't roll out the red carpet for fraud. Take the new Fraud Prevention Quiz!
As the cyber threat landscape evolves, fraudsters continue to target people with more and more sophisticated types of cyber attacks.
To learn more, please visit the Fraud Prevention Month page.
Security Tip of the Week
Make sure your passwords are long and strong. Strong passwords should be at least 12 characters long with a combination of lowercase, uppercase, special characters, and numbers.
For more information on the best practices for building strong and secure passwords, please visit the Password Best Practices page.
Don’t award fraudsters – help prevent fraud with these security tips:
- Do not open links in unsolicited emails, texts, or instant messages.
- STOP, THINK, then ACT. Watch out for malicious emails – be suspicious of any emails that have a sense of urgency, make feel a strong emotion (fear, excitement, etc.), or contain unexpected attachments.
- Only download documents and applications from official sources.
- Ensure that files you download are files from the accurate sources, whether this is for personal or professional purposes. Make sure you verify the website you want to download the document from before downloading the document, or that the application you want to download is the correct one.
- Use detailed payment procedures when shopping online.
- Be suspicious of any “too good to be true” websites or listings. Don’t be afraid to ask for credentials or confirm claims BEFORE you agree to anything. A limited time offer isn’t a reason to stop being careful.
- When you change your password, change it to a new and complex password and do not use automatic log in features that save your username and password.
- To better protect yourself from fraud, create individual unique and strong passwords for each of your personal and professional accounts and devices. Always log in to your accounts each time you use them, since automatic log in features, or clicking “remember me” makes you more vulnerable to a cyber attack.
- Boost your privacy settings on social media platforms.
- Social media platforms allow users to set their privacy settings to levels that they feel comfortable with. Adjust each of your social media platform settings manually rather than strictly use each platform’s default settings. Check each of your account settings on a regular basis, since privacy and security settings will resort back to the platform’s default settings after each platform updates.
- Report fraudulent activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre either online or, by calling toll-free, 1-888-495-8501.
- Report any fraudulent activity. Even if you feel embarrassed that you fell for it, reporting fraud can help police catch the fraudsters and try to keep others from falling victim to the same scam.
| Upcoming Events |
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On-demand: Fortifying Your Security Frontline with Awareness Training Date: Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays Time: 12-1 pm Pacific Location: Online |
