Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Review: Top Tips for Staying Safe Online

From the significance of multifactor authentication to the importance of staying vigilant against phishing attacks, the team has provided essential insights to enhance our cybersecurity practices. Join us as we recap the top four things you can do to help protect yourself online.  

Our Top Tips: 

Week 1 – Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Gain an extra layer of protection in your cyber security by adding MFA to all online accounts with personal or financial information and those you use for work. 

Week 2 – Phishing: Learn how to spot the tell-tale signs of sneaky phishing attacks and how to report them. Always check the sender’s email address and think before you click on links or files. For UCL email accounts, please report any suspicious emails to phish@ucl.ac.uk. 

Week 3 – Passwords and Password Managers: Level up your security by using strong, unique passwords for all online accounts. We recommend creating complex passwords and using a password manager to securely remember them all.  

Week 4 – Software Updates: And finally, pay attention to software update alerts and set your software to auto-update – it’s an easy way to keep things safe. 

We would also like to say a huge congratulations to all our worthy winners of the weekly cyber security awareness quizzes! Thank you for taking part! All answers to the weekly quiz questions are included at the bottom of this page. 

Training and Ongoing Commitment 

Speaking on the particular importance of cyber security for UCL, UCL President & Provost, Dr Spence, said: "We aim to strike a balance between fostering an open, creative culture, which is essential for a university like ours, and ensuring the security of the data entrusted to us by our communities. This calls for vigilance without unnecessary alarm and a collective commitment to cybersecurity, all while cherishing the openness that makes our university unique." 

Don't forget to keep your cybersecurity knowledge current by making sure you're up to date with mandatory training. You can access this ('Information Security Training with CybSafe') under the 'Training' section on Inside UCL. 

By prioritizing cybersecurity, we can collectively create a safer digital environment for everyone. 

Answers 

Week 1: Passwords 

Week 2: phish@ucl.ac.uk 

Week 3: Long, unique and complex 

Week 4: Security software, web browsers, operating systems and applications