National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is hosted every October by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance. Agencies including the FBI have joined this initiative to raise awareness about cybersecurity and provide tips the public can take to mitigate cybercrime and protect themselves and their systems.

“Our daily lives occur online: from staying connected with family and friends to shopping, banking, and even working remotely,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “It is critical we all take steps to navigate the Internet safely and to protect ourselves from cyber criminals lurking behind a reused password, a misleading hyperlink, or an outdated operating system.”

Protecting our digitally connected world is a priority for the FBI, but it is not something we can do alone. There are important steps everyone can take to protect themselves when navigating the online landscape.

Below are some cyber safety tips anyone can implement:

• Keep systems and software up to date and install a strong, reputable anti-virus program.
• Be careful when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network and do not conduct sensitive transactions, including purchases, when on a public network.
• Create a strong and unique passphrase for each online account.
• Set up multi-factor authentication on all accounts that allow it.
• Examine the e-mail address in all correspondence and scrutinize website URLs before responding to a message or visiting a site.
• Don’t click on anything in unsolicited e-mails or text messages.
• Be cautious about the information you share on online profiles and social media accounts. Sharing things like pet names, schools, and family members can give scammers the hints they need to guess your passwords or the answers to your account security questions.
• Don't send payments to unknown people or organizations seeking monetary support and urge immediate action.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is the FBI’s central hub for reporting cybercrimes. In addition to filing a complaint through IC3, you can view public service announcements and consumer alerts published by the FBI on the emerging and current cybercrime trends impacting the public.

If you are the victim of a cyber-enabled crime or fraud, file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible at ic3.gov.