Take steps to make your online experience safe, secure

LANCASTER — October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about cybersecurity.

The Internet touches almost all aspects of everyone’s daily life, whether we realize it or not. It’s an easy way to fall prey to frauds, scams and online theft.

While cybersecurity encompasses many aspects, the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station has a few simple safety tips:

1. Use a long passphrase instead of a password. ILuvUnicorns$ is more difficult to guess than Unicorns123.

2. Use a different password for each account. While this is difficult with so much online activity, it will help keep all of your accounts secure in the event one account gets hacked.

3. Limit what information you post on social media — from personal addresses to where you like to grab coffee.

4. Whether it’s your computer, smartphone, game device or other network devices, the best defense against viruses and malware is to update to the latest security software, web browser, and operating systems.

5. When traveling, stop auto connecting to WiFi. Some devices will automatically seek and connect to available wireless networks or Bluetooth devices. This instant connection opens the door for cyber criminals to remotely access your devices. Disable these features so that you actively choose when to connect to a safe network.

6. Be wary of hyperlinks. Avoid clicking on hyperlinks in emails and hover over links to verify authenticity. Also ensure that URLs begin with “https.” The “s” indicates encryption is enabled to protect users’ information. Emails with typos, incorrect spelling and poor grammar are indicators of a scam email.

7. Practice safe Web surfing wherever you are by checking for the “green lock” or padlock icon in your browser bar — this signifies a secure connection.

8. Ensure your home WiFi is secured and locked.

Visit https://www.cisa.gov for details.