Cybersecurity Awareness Month: 5 cybersafety tips for local government [Video]

By Ezra Silver-Stewart

It’s October, which means two things: You can finally buy candy in bulk without fear of judgment, and it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. While the ramifications of eating an entire bowl of fun-sized Snickers may seem serious, cybersecurity lapses can lead to even greater suffering. In a world where public safety agencies rely on technology, keeping your information secure is more important than ever.

Here are five tips to protect yourself, your organization and your community from cyberthreats.

Use strong, unique passwords

This isn’t a new tip, but it’s still a priority. Long, complex, and unique passwords are your first line of defense against cybercriminals. Follow your organization’s password policy and consider using it as a template for your own personal password security. Strong passwords combine eight or more characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, digits and special characters. For personal passwords, a password manager can help keep everything organized and secure.

Pro tip:Never reuse passwords …