From Wikipedia: “Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I and World War II. In wartime, governments encouraged people to plant victory gardens not only to supplement their rations but also to boost morale. They were used along with Rationing Stamps and Cards to reduce pressure on the public food supply. Besides indirectly aiding the war effort, these gardens were also considered a civil “morale booster” in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. This made victory gardens a part of daily life on the home front.”
The concept of a Victory Garden is relevant when it comes to how we think about cybersecurity and data care, especially when international conflicts arise like the war in Ukraine. If we all do our part to protect ourselves from international hackers, we are also protecting our Nation. During times like these, you want to make sure you’re doing everything possible to protect your data and protect yourself from negative online influence. That’s why every citizen should start planting and implementing their cybersecurity victory garden. A cybersecurity victory garden will ensure that you and your household are protected from hackers and ensure that your private data cannot be breached. Take a look at the things you should start planting in your cybersecurity victory garden.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is an extra level of security that ensures that the people who are trying to access an online account are who they say they are. First, a user will enter their username and password. Then, instead of immediately gaining access to the account, they are required to provide another piece of information. That other piece of information can be additional information that they should know, something they physically have, or a biometric pattern.
Password Protect Your Wifi
Password-protected wifi does more than keep your neighbors off your wifi and using up your bandwidth. It also protects all of your devices. If you don’t password-protect your wifi, anyone within range can jump on the network and potentially hack into your devices. Hackers can also use your network to do illegal activity. That means the police could be knocking at your door for illegal online activity that someone else did. To avoid these problems, simply add a strong password to your network. There are different levels of WPE/WPA password protection, so be sure to user a higher level than “password” as your password. The current high standard is WPA3 which is 192-bit encryption. Also be sure to set your Wifi firewall to ‘on’, which is the default.
Stay Up To Date
All of your connected devices have firm ware and software that needs to be updated with current security patches. Some of these will run automatically, but most do not. Look in your device Settings menu for anything that says “Update” and run whatever is recommended to stay current. This will help you stay ahead of hackers.
Log Out
When using public or shared devices, be sure to log out of any browser-based cloud accounts (like Gmail or Facebook) after you are done using. You will sometimes be prompted when signing in to select “Do Not Remember Me”, but that doesn’t always work if your session remains active for the next user to see. Some browser-based services will also track which devices were used to log in to your account, and will let you remotely force a sign out.
Attend a Cybersecurity / Data Care Workshop
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re protecting yourself and your data from hackers is to learn from the best in cybersecurity. Attending a cybersecurity event or workshop is a great way to learn the ways hackers can use your online home devices as attack surfaces and how you can prevent them from doing so.
MAGIC offers a cyber capture-the-flag competition for those wanting to learn more about cybersecurity. This introductory-level competition allows participants to get a feel for the cyber process as well as learn logical thinking skills and teamwork. Capture the Flag 12 is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2022. All who are interested in planting their cybersecurity victory garden are encouraged to attend: https://bit.ly/3w4tcMS.
Another program that MAGIC is proud to host is a Senior Online Safety (SOS) workshop sponsored by the Gula Tech Foundation. This workshop, specifically designed for seniors, allows older adults to learn more about cybersecurity and how they can protect themselves online.
Grow Your Cybersecurity Victory Garden with MAGIC
Now more than ever, MAGIC is here to help you protect you and your data. Take advantage of one of our many cybersecurity programs and special events. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, and we’ll be happy to help.
