1. City of Madison
  2. EmployeeNet
  3. Information Technology
  4. Cybersecurity Awareness

Cybersecurity Awareness

Mission

The mission is to connect employees to services and information through people-focused technology solutions, in a safe and secure way.

Goals

  • Ensuring protection of our City employees and residents through the ongoing development of our security best practices.
  • Analyzing data to develop and share actionable mitigation recommendations.
  • Educating City employees on the importance and impacts of security threats.
  • Creating awareness about cybersecurity best practices. #BeCyberSmart

Cybersecurity Tips for the Holiday Season

Stay safe and secure this holiday season with our Top 5 Online Shopping Tips!

  1. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for online shopping. Public Wi-Fi networks can be very dangerous, especially during the holiday season. Public Wi-Fi networks are easy to spoof, potentially granting hackers access to your private information (usernames, passwords, texts, emails, credit card numbers, etc.). Verify the public Wi-Fi networks in your vicinity before connecting.
  2. Look for the lock symbol on websites. The lock symbol and URLs beginning with “https” indicate that the website uses encryption to protect your data. The lock may appear in the URL bar, or elsewhere in your browser.
  3. Do product research. If the deal is too good to be true, then it may be a scam. Research the product from multiple retailers to get a sense of the product’s average cost.
  4. Ask about single-use credit card numbers. Many banks are now offering a single-use credit card number for online shopping. If the credit card number is exposed, is cannot be used again. Check with your bank or credit card company to see if this is an option for you.
  5. Keep your computer secure. Keep your computer as clean and secure as possible for online shopping by updating your anti-virus software and applying the suggested software patches. Never save usernames, passwords or credit card information in your browser and periodically clear your offline content, cookies and history.
Holiday decorations on State Street in downtown Madison, WI.

Identifying Email Phishing Attempts

Cybercriminals use phishing tactics to lure users into clicking on malicious links, attachments, and filling out forms to access personal and financial information. Phishers will often impersonate an existing email address to fool users into trusting the sender. It's vital to verify email senders before interacting with any links or attachments. For example, verify the sender by carefully checking the "from" email address. Any misspellings or unusual domain names are a red flag for identifying phishing attempts.

Phishing attempt example.

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Held every October, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) is a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and to ensure that everyone has the resources they need to be safer and more secure online. NCSAM 2019 emphasizes personal accountability and stresses the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity at home and in the workplace. #BeCyberSmart

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2019 emphasizes "Own It. Secure It. Protect It."

Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.

Own IT.
Secure IT.
Protect IT.