**October is the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM)** aimed towards raising awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and sharing the knowledge and resources needed to stay secure while connected. This year's theme is **"Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart"**, and we, of course, want to do our part.

Everyday, we are spending more of our time online, browsing, shopping, and working. With more everyday tasks we do online, more of our personal data is shared. And if that data falls into the hands of cyber criminals, sensitive information could be at risk.

Most successful attacks and data breaches are the result of simple human error and a moment of carelessness. Being aware of ways attackers might gain access to your personal information or infect your device with malware, and knowing what to watch out for, can reduce your chances of becoming a victim. This is why we've prepared 10 do's and don'ts of staying safe while connected.

Our advice is aimed towards the everyday user, with measures that are easy to implement but poised to make you that much more secure while still freely scrolling online. You can find additional links and resources that tackle different topics mentioned here, so you can always read more about different types of cybercrime and protection measures.

Do: Use complex passwords and change them regularly

While this might be a no-brainer, using common and easy to guess passwords isn’t a safe practice. The password 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 alone is used by over 20 million people. This is exemplified by the fact that stolen credentials are one of the most common causes of data breaches. And one way cyber criminals frequently gain unauthorized access to systems is actually quite simple—by guessing passwords. Known as a brute force attack, attackers can guess an individual's password using relevant clues they have on them. Another example of brute force attack is to rely on users reusing their passwords, some of which have been exposed by previous data breaches.

**You can find out if your credentials have been compromised in a previous data breach, by visiting Have-I-Been-Pwned.**

Always use complex passwords with a mix of lower and upper case letters, numbers and special characters; and make sure they are regularly changed and different on all accounts. If it seems daunting to remember all those long and complicated passwords, using a secure password manager is a great way to stay on top of your password security.

Don't: Use any of your personal information as your password

When we mentioned that attackers can guess your password by using relevant clues, some of the more obvious tip-offs can be your first name, last name, date of birth, location and other personal information. Some clues, however, can be easily found by observing your social channels. That's why your password should never reference anything that's easily connected to you. Instead, use random words and phrases, or a combination of "nonsensical" word formations.

Do: Use multi-factor authentication

Chances are you're probably using at least a two-factor authentication on some of your accounts, as platforms often require you to create one. Authentication factors are: knowledge - something you know about the device, such as email and password; possession - another device that will verify your identity, such as an SMS code; inherence - something you actually are, such as a fingerprint, and location.

In the case of identity verification, the more the merrier. Multi-factor authentication considers the use of two or more authentication factors, which is not only important for creating an additional barrier to attackers trying to gain unauthorized access to your account, but also because SMS code and similar types of authentication aren't that secure.

Most, if not all, platforms will have 2FA and MFA authentication easily accessible, so it's simple to get started and add another layer of protection to your online accounts.

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