The Izard County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind you of some simple tips that will help make our community safer online. By following the tips, we won’t be as vulnerable to online criminals looking to scam or steal information.The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has the following safety tips for how to help stay safe online:• Create strong passwords – do not use the same password for multiple accounts, never share your password, and when creating a password, include sixteen characters or more that use a random combination of mixed-case letters, numbers, and symbols.• Recognize and report phishing – if you have doubts about the legitimacy of a message received, reach out to a known sender by phone or your Internet Service Provider (or, if at work, your company’s IT Department) before opening the message, and do not click on any links included. • Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) – turn on and complete the steps for MFA on all accounts with the available setting. Ask your email provider for assistance, if needed.• Update software – install all expected, confirmed updates for your device as soon as possible or turn on automatic updates.For more information on how to stay safe online, please visit the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Children online present additional challenges because of their innocence, curiosity, and desire for independence. Common dangers encountered by children online are cyber predators, bullies, and identity theft.The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has the following tips for parents to help keep their children safe online:• Be involved – supervise your child’s online activities while teaching them good computer habits (consider online activities you can work on together).• Consider implementing parental controls – restrict or allow certain websites to be viewed on your computer using a password (you can set some parental controls within your browser).• Keep lines of communication open – let your child know they can approach you with any questions or concerns about behaviors or problems they may have encountered online.• Keep your computer in an open area – easily monitor your child’s computer activity in a high-traffic area.• Monitor computer activity – be aware of what your child is doing online (which websites they are visiting, who/what they are emailing, etc.).• Set rules and warn about dangers – ensure your child is aware of the boundaries of what they are allowed to do on the computer (boundaries should be appropriate for the child’s age, knowledge, and maturity).For more information on how to keep your child safe online, please visit the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. These simple proactive tips are a way to keep yourselves and children from being a victim of cyber crimes.Sheriff Charley Melton
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