A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility

It can be tempting to think it's the experts' job to keep us safe online. We trust our colleagues who are IT professionals and the technology services we use to stay up to date on the latest threats. But all of us, whether or not we are technology experts, have a part to play in cybersecurity. That's why this year's theme for October's Cybersecurity Awareness Month is “Do your part, #BeCyberSmart.”

The State Auditor's Office wants to help you protect yourself, your systems and your data online. Throughout October, we'll be sharing tips, new information and pointing to existing resources to help you stay cyber safe. In keeping with this year's theme, we'll be exploring multi-factor authentication as a way to protect your accounts, as well as sharing best practices for upgrading software.

As always, you can access helpful information on our #BeCyberSmart page. There you can learn about protecting yourself from phishing attacks, creating strong passwords and other ways to do your part. You'll also find specific cybersecurity tips for different areas of your organization, including finance and administration, facilities and operations, IT, leadership, HR, and legal and compliance. Each area includes fact sheets that you can download and share with your colleagues. It's up to all of us to do our part and be cyber smart!

Sincerely,

Pat