Whether you’re the chief privacy officer for a major corporation, or you’re a “team of one” who’s in charge of making sure the operations of your town’s water plant are safe and secure, cybersecurity is a big part of your job that, at times, keeps you up at night.

Of course, as we’ve come to discover in very real terms, cyber threats impact all of us.

And it’s fair to say that any time we’re online, there’s going to be a cybercriminal with a scam who’s out there trying to steal our money, as well as our personal data and financial information. And there’s also an entire operation of nation state actors (in Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and elsewhere) who are targeting our critical infrastructure. In fact, according to a recent report from Consumer Reports, Aspen Digital, and the Global Cyber Alliance, one in five American adults, who have encountered online scams have ended up falling for one of them and losing money.

As all of this is occurring, it’s fitting, perhaps, (and just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, as proclaimed here in Indiana by Gov. Eric Holcomb, as well as nationally), we’ve all got a new job title – cyber defender.

It certainly has a nice Marvel Superheroes feel to it, right?

That’s the message from Jen Easterly, who serves as the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), whose role (and importance) as “America’s Cyber Defense Agency” can’t be understated for the work they do, in partnership with state and local government, as well as other federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), among others.

In asking us to pick up a shield, throughout the month of October, CISA and the National Cybersecurity Alliance will focus on ways to “Secure Our World” by encouraging everyone to adopt four simple steps to stay safe online, including:

• Use strong passwords that are long, random, and unique to each account, and consider using a password manager to generate them and to save them.
• Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) on all accounts that offer it. We need more than a password on our most important accounts, like email, social media, and financial accounts.
• Recognize and report phishing, as we like to say, think before you click. Be cautious of unsolicited emails or texts or calls asking you for personal information, and don't click on links or open attachments from unknown sources.
• Update software. In fact, enable automatic updates on software so the latest security patches keep devices we are connected to continuously up to date.

Additionally, CISA offers a wealth of resources on its Cybersecurity Awareness Month website, which includes a toolkit, tip sheets, and animated videos.

In the Hoosier State, cybersecurity continues to be a top priority, as evidenced by the work of the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity, together with the leadership exhibited by the Indiana Office of Technology and the free services IOT provides for local government and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, whose services extend across Indiana as it involves cyber resiliency and response and supporting emergency personnel with their preparedness to keep aal of us safe and protected. There are also a wide range of resources, best practices and tips that are featured on the website you’re visiting, also known as the Indiana Cyber Hub website. As if it’s not enough of a reminder, cybersecurity is an important part of our daily life, whether we’re at home with our family, at work, or at school, as well as anytime we’re online. In celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s a great time to take just a few minutes to follow these steps and use our “superpowers” – every day and throughout the year – to stay safe and protected.