October is national Cybersecurity Month. With hackers continuing their increasingly sophisticated attempts to access government, business, and personal systems and accounts, it is a good time to focus on a few basics that really make a difference in cyber defense. Here are four steps you can take, both personally and at Providence, to #beCyberSmart and help defend against hackers.
Use strong passwords
While Providence has requirements for password length and complexity, you should also use these best practices for your personal accounts.
- Use at least 10 characters
- Include numbers and special characters and use them as replacements for letters in phrases easier for you to remember but difficult to guess
- Use upper and lowercase letters
- Do not use sequential numbers or number patterns
- Do not use personal information
- Do not use common words and/or phrases
Enable multi-factor authentication
One of the best ways to help secure your online accounts is to require more than a single verification to access them. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an additional layer of security requiring you to prove who you are with additional verification information (factor) when signing-in to an account. All Providence caregivers are required to set up and use MFA if they are remotely accessing our network systems. Many companies now offer MFA for personal accounts. This is particularly critical with your email and financial information. Take a few minutes to make sure you have enabled and set up this important security feature on all your key accounts.
Keep your software updated
Hackers often use known vulnerabilities to target computers and devices that have not been updated to protect against those vulnerabilities. At Providence, we have launched a Medical Device Security Program (MDSP) to detect, assess and mitigate these types of security vulnerabilities. Your personal computers, phones and any devices that connect to the internet (including routers and printers) should always be kept up to date with latest security patches and software. One easy way is set your devices to automatically receive updates from the manufacturer.
Recognize and report phishing
Phishing scams are one of the main ways cybercriminals gain access to an organization’s data and information. These fake emails and texts are designed to look legitimate and trick you into clicking links or downloading attachments. If you receive a suspicious email, do not respond to the email and do not click on links or attachments and, if it is to your Providence email, be sure to report it through Outlook.
More info
Check out Providence’s Cybersecurity Caregiver Resource Portal.