The Audit - A funny take on how some employees view the importance of security audits

Launch of the LuciusonSecurity Security Awareness YouTube Channel

There is no better occasion than the  Indian festival of Dussehera which commemorates the victory of good over evil to launch the LuciusonSecurity Youtube channel which will feature security awareness talks, training and cartoons. The first video is a short cartoon titled “The Lottery” which highlights the plight of unfortunate victims who fall for the fake lottery scam.

Eleven Pledges a Good Cyber Citizen Should Take to Stay Safe Online

1.    I pledge not to cyber bully and act as an active or passive participant in cyberbullying. Wherever I see it, I will condemn it and inform my parents or teachers.

2.    I pledge to not make inappropriate comments on social media, blogs and websites because they are hurtful. I will ignore cyber trolls and their nasty comments wherever I come across them

3.    I pledge to not disclose personal information and pictures which may embarrass the person who sent it to me without their explicit consent

4.    I pledge to pressurize online service providers that use my personal data for advertisement and other commercial activities to act in a responsible manner which protects my privacy and dignity

5.    I pledge to pressurize online service providers to invest in security solutions that make their services, more private and secure. To show their commitment to strong authentication, transparent disclosures, data breach notifications and hassle free filtrations of inappropriate content.

6.    I pledge to not indulge in any immoral or criminal activity either for fun or profit such as the hacking of colleagues or partner’s social media accounts, sending anonymous insulting messages, harassing, posting pictures of sexual nature on revenge sites, stealing from online accounts of family members, selling household items online without consent or setting up online scams for quick money.

7.    I pledge to take onto myself the responsibility to ensure that my personal (and family) digital devices are made secure and kept free from malware. I will learn to set and keep configured minimum technical security controls such as software and patches.

8.    I pledge to take on the self-responsibility of protecting myself from cyber risks by keeping  aware of cyber risks and the means to safeguard against them

9.    I pledge to not fall victim to online solicitations from online scams the promise quick gains from money transfers, weight loss, international dating, lottery wins or whatever the enticing offer may be. Each time, I receive such solicitations, I will GOOGLE to verify their authenticity.

10.  I pledge to be a good cyber parent and to take on the responsibility of keeping my children safe online and to be their role model for ethical online behavior.

11.  I pledge to abide by my companies security policy and online code of conduct irrespective of my personal beliefs.

 

Six Actions Cybercitizens can take as part of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (#NCSAM)

The National Cyber Security Awareness Month (OCT 1-31) organized in joint participation between the public sector partners and the US Government is an opportunity for citizens to better understand  cyber security risks, cyber ethics and to own their part in the  collective responsibility  of making the Internet  a safer place. Reduction of cyber risks will not come about even after large cyber security investments, technology advances, improved laws and the best efforts of law enforcement. It will only occur if cybercitizens use situational awareness and common sense as they go about their digital lives. 

Start now with Six Simple Actions to keep you safe

1. Start a family discussion on cyber risks that every member may face when they connect to the Internet.
2. Audit the security measures on your digital devices. Ensure the antimalware program is updated, the latest operating system (Windows, MAC) patches are applied and each device is password protected using a strong password.
3. Immediately reset passwords to online accounts that are not strong or unique to each service.
4. Self-pledge to think before you post, email or message personal information and pictures that may damage your reputation if widely publicized
5. Keep and offline back-up of data stored on the cloud.
6. And if you are a parent, accept the additional responsibility of understanding cyber risks that your children face, the means to mitigate them and to be their guide to online safety. Get started with my short primer titled "Keeping your child safe online".

Program and participation details for NCSAM are available at the following link www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month