Cybersecurity awareness month: How can Canadians stay (cyber) fit?

Cyber Security Awareness Month (Cyber Month) is an international campaign held each October to help the public learn more about the importance of cyber security.

The campaign helps Canadians stay secure online by teaching them simple steps to protect themselves and their devices.

The theme for Cyber Security Awareness Month 2023 is “Step up your cyber fitness.”  Just like starting a new fitness routine, finding the motivation to become your best, most cyber-safe self can be tough—but we’re here to help. It’s all about stretching your cyber security muscles and taking things one step at a time!

Warm up: cyber threats and cyber security incidents

The best workouts always begin with a good warmup. It is important to understand the various threats that may put your accounts and personal information at risk on the Internet.

There are a wide range of ways in which websites may try to use your personal or financial information, some of which you may not be aware of.

The proportion of Canadians who experienced cyber security incidents increased from 58% in 2020 to 70% in 2022.

The most common incidents reported were receiving unsolicited spam (60%) and receiving fraudulent content (40%). Other incidents included being redirected to fraudulent websites asking for personal information (22%), having a virus or other malicious software installed without permission (11%) and experiencing fraudulent payment card use (9%).

In 2022, among those who experienced a cyber security incident, 6% reported a financial loss.

Being aware of cyberthreats is the first step in protecting yourself against them.

Businesses in Canada are demonstrating growing cyber-awareness. For example, the proportion of businesses conducting activities to identify cyber security risks on a scheduled basis increased by five percentage points to 39% in 2021.

Data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions for the second quarter of 2022 showed that one-fifth (21%) of Canadian establishments plan to take new or additional cyber security actions over the next 12 months.

Account workout: practice getting cyber safe

There are several measures you can take to better protect yourself against cyber threats.

Using strong, unique passwords and passphrases can make it more difficult for potential hackers to log into your accounts. Further, enabling multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection against potential hackers.

Phishing and social engineering scams may try to trick you with convincing emails, prompting you to click on potentially dangerous links. Avoiding suspicious emails and links can help stop hackers from accessing your personal information. In 2021, 73.0% of private sector enterprises in Canada took measures to implement email security.

Enterprises in Canada implement a variety of cybersecurity measures to protect their businesses, and you can too by using a combination of both hardware and software securities.

Account self-defence: maintaining muscle

We’ve covered the basics, but there are still some things you can do to ensure that you are keeping on top of your security habits.

For example, installing an anti-virus software on your devices can help you beat cyber criminals to the punch.

Using a Virtual Private Network and securing your home Wi-Fi are also excellent ways to fend off potential intruders.

Keeping on top of available software updates on your applications, accounts and devices can help ensure that important personal data are backed up and safe.

Strength in numbers: spreading awareness

Talking about cyber security with family, friends and coworkers can help spread awareness about the risks and preventative measures we can all take to avoid them.

In 2022, 94.5% of people 15 years and older in Canada used the Internet, up from 91.3% in 2018.

With more Canadians using the Internet than ever before, learning about cyber security is important at any age.

Spread your knowledge—the more Canadians learn about staying safe online, the more resilient we’ll all be against cyber threats.

Visit Get Cyber Safe to explore more cybersecurity resources.