October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month— Stay secure, Redbirds!

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a national effort to raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding our digital lives-at work, in the classroom, and at home.

This year's message, promoted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is clear: "Secure Our World.

As technology continues to power nearly every aspect of teaching, research, and campus operations, cybersecurity is more important than ever. At Illinois State, we all play a role in protecting sensitive data, university systems, and each other from cyber threats.

This year's CISA campaign focuses on four key cybersecurity habits:

• Use strong passwords and a password manager.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication.
• Recognize and report phishing.
• Update software regularly.

Here's how faculty and staff can take action this October:

• Enable multi-factor authentication on every account you use for work.
• Be vigilant-report suspicious emails by clicking the "Report Message" button on the toolbar of Outlook.
• Protect student and research data by securing devices and cloud storage.

Cyber threats are constantly evolving, but strong digital habits go a long way toward keeping Illinois State safe. Let's work together to build a secure, resilient campus-one login at a time.

Visit cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month for more information, or reach out to the Illinois State University's Information Security Office at [email protected] or (309) 438-4357 for tools and campus-specific guidance.

Be sure to follow us at @saferedbirds on social media for preparedness tips and updates. Stay safe, Redbirds!