National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, WA, UNITED STATES

10.04.2016

Story by Airman 1st Class Mackenzie Mendez 

92nd Air Refueling Wing

Week 1: “Crossing the Digital Street”
- Keeping a Clean Machine: Keeping security software current and utilizing your firewall.
- Protecting your Password and Information: Make password long and strong, write it down if needed and keep it in a secure place away from the computer. Keep devices locked even if only a few steps away.
- Connecting with Care: Be sure to use HTTPS when shopping and banking.
- Be Web Wise: Stay current, check trusted websites for the latest information. Think before clicking. If an offer sounds too good to be true or asks for personal information, it should probably be avoided.
- Being a Good Online Citizen: Post only about others as you would have them post about you, Help authorities fight cyber-crime.

Week 2: “Making Cybersecurity a Cultural Norm”
- Raising Digital Citizens: Help children identify safe, credible web sites and other digital content. Be cautious about clicking on, downloading, posting and uploading content. Remind them to be good “digital friends” by respecting personal information of friends and family and not sharing anything about others potentially embarrassing or hurtful.
- Home Cybersecurity Culture: The goal is to educate and empower our global digital society to use the internet safely and securely. WebWiseKids.org is a unique organization that offers fun, challenging and interactive simulations based on real-life criminal cases.
- Socializing Cyber Culture: Social engineering attacks occur when an attacker uses human interaction and behavioral techniques to collect enough information to infiltrate an entity. A form of social engineering called phishing is today’s top online threat. Phishing warning signs include urgency, generic greetings, validate or update information, includes errors, unusual content, unknown link, plausible sender and fake website.

Week 3: “Everyone Wants Your Money”
- Internet Auction Fraud involves the misrepresentation of a product advertised for sale on an internet auction site, or non-delivery of merchandise.
- Credit Card Fraud: Through the unauthorized use of a credit or debit card, or a card number, scammers fraudulently obtain money or property.
- Investment Fraud: Offer using false claims to solicit investments or loans, or providing for the purchase, use, or trade of forged or counterfeit securities.
- Tips to Avoid Internet Fraud: Don't believe promises of easy money, don't invest in or buy anything you’re not absolutely sure about. Check with the - Better Business Bureau from the seller's area. Don't give out credit card number online unless the site is secure and reputable. Check credit reports regularly.

Week 4: “Pikachu and Why You Don't Really Need to Scan Your ID Card
- Pokémon Go: The Better Business Bureau warns of scammers leveraging the popularity of Pokémon Go. Phishing emails have threatened users by telling them their accounts would be frozen unless they pay $12.99 a month.
- Things to consider when using apps: What information is the app collecting? Does that information stay local to each device or is it sent elsewhere? How can you tell? Some apps will ask for access to your location or photos but some may run in the background without your knowledge.

Week 5: “Mission-Focused Cybersecurity and the Cyber Next Concept”
- The newly created Defensive Cyberspace Operations Implementation Guidance provides detailed information on the purpose, intent and way ahead for initial implementation of Communications Squadron-Next and, specifically, Mission Defense Teams across pathfinder units around the Air Force. U.S. forces can no longer operate with impunity in the cyber domain because of threats from state and non-state actors. The establishment of the Cyber Mission Forces was a U.S. Cyber Command effort to create a cadre of defenders of the most important “Cyber Key Terrain” in cyberspace. The goal of Cyber-Next is to always be ready and not just to prepare for inspections.

Practice safe cybersecurity to keep yourself, family and Air Force assets safe. For more information call the Wing Cybersecurity Office at [phone].

• Date Taken: 10.04.2016
• Date Posted: 10.06.2016 16:03
• Story ID: 211468
• Location: FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, WA, US