Georgia County Government - October 2008 - (Page 53) Feature Cyber Security Awareness Submitted by The Georgia Technology Authority and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center I nformation is a critical asset. Therefore, it must be protected from unauthorized modification, destruction and disclosure. This article describes information security concepts and defines steps required to properly safeguard information. It is the responsibility of everyone – each employee and home user – to become familiar with good security principles and to fol- low the information protection tips. Based on recent statistics, the average unprotected computer can be compromised in a matter of minutes. The majority of individuals, who thought their computers were safe, were wrong. Employees should notify the information security officer or manager at their organization. 8. Make your password as long as possible – eight or more characters. Create a password that’s hard to guess but easy for you to remember. When possible, use a mix of numbers and letters, special characters or use only the consonants of a word. If you have difficulty in thinking of a password that you can remember, try using the first letter of each word in a phrase, song, quote or sentence. For example, “The big Red fox jumped over the Fence to get the hen?” becomes TbRfjotF2gth?. 4. Install firewall and anti-virus software. If you have multiple machines, have this soft ware on all of them. Based on recent statistics, the average unprotected computer can be compromised in a matter of minutes. Most people who thought their computers were safe were wrong. User IDs and Passwords Your user ID is your identification, and it’s what links you to your actions on the system. Your password authenticates your user ID. Protect your ID and password. Remember, generally, you are responsible for actions taken with your ID and password. Follow these best practices with a padlock: 1. Your password should be changed periodically. 2. Don’t reuse your previous passwords. 3. Don’t use the same password for each of your accounts. 4. NEVER tell or share your password with ANYONE. 5. When your computer prompts you to save your password, click on “No.” 6. Never use a word found in a dictionary (English or foreign.) 7. If you think your password has been compromised, change it immediately. Home Computer Protection Many people process critical information at home, both for their jobs and their personal lives. Properly safeguarding your personal computer (PC) is one of the most important ways of protecting your information from corruption or loss. 1. Log off or lock your computer when you are away from your PC. In most cases hitting the “Control-AltDelete” keys and then selecting “Lock Computer” will keep others out. You will need your password to sign back in, but doing this several times a day will help you to remember your password. 2. If you have a modem, make sure it does not accept incoming calls (autoanswer should be off ). 3. When possible, remove your personal or sensitive information before allowing your workstation equipment to be repaired off-site or replaced by an outside vendor. If your home computer is being used for work purposes, consult your manager on how best to do this. Protecting Your Information During an emergency or disruption, critical information – the information necessary to run your organization’s systems, record activities or satisfy legal and/or business requirements – may be damaged. The best way to protect information is to copy it and store it in a secure location. 1. If you are connected to a network, store your fi les in folders set aside for you. (For employees, check with your LAN administrator for the schedule of backups). 2. If you are not connected to a network, save your fi les to CDs or floppy disks regularly. 3. Ensure that backups reflect the most current information by copying the data on a regular basis, and after all significant changes. The frequency of the backup cycle should be consistent with the frequency with which you modify the information. CYBER SECURITY continued on page 54 OCTOBER 2008 www.accg.org 53 http://www.accg.org
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