Be a Cyberhero during Cyber Awareness Month 2022
Cyber Security Awareness Month (Cyber Month) is an internationally recognized campaign held each October to promote the importance of cyber security. To help Ontario school boards promote safer and more secure practices across their school communities, the Educational Computing Network of Ontario (ECNO) has developed the K-12 Cyber Awareness Month campaign.
For this year, ECNO is encouraging us all to “Be a Cyberhero” by defending against the bad guys – the phishers, scam artists, and all the supervillains who pose a threat to cyber security, safety, and privacy.
Each week in October, the campaign will focus on a different theme related to cyber awareness. Find the full list of themes below, and be sure to check back each week for new tips and resources related to the topic of the week. We will also be highlighting weekly themes on HWDSB’s social media channels.
The first weekly theme is “Social Media, Gaming and the Metaverse” and you can learn more by clicking on the topic below.
Weekly Themes
WEEK 1: Social Media, Gaming and the Metaverse
Social media and online games are great ways to stay connected, interact and have fun with family and friends. Knowing how to do so safely while protecting your identity and personal information is essential.
With the increase in popularity of the Metaverse, those interactions are also occurring in virtual 3D worlds via avatars and technologies such as virtual reality (VR) headsets and augmented reality apps. Some of those interactions can occur in unmoderated worlds increasing the risk of youth and children being exposed to inappropriate content and interactions.
Find more resources on the ECNO website: Social Media, Gaming and the Metaverse
WEEK 2: Cyber Scams and Phishing
Cyber criminals are always coming up with new ways to scam internet users of all ages. Their favorite techniques include phishing emails, phishing SMS or text messages (also known as “smishing”) and spoofing websites and phone numbers to try and trick us into divulging sensitive information such as our identity, personal information and account details and passwords.
Find more resources on the ECNO website: Cyber Scams and Phishing
WEEK 3: Cyber Hygiene
Fortunately for everyone, we can all train ourselves to think proactively about cyber security, online safety, and privacy by establishing solid cyber hygiene practices that are as routine as brushing your teeth. Adopting thorough and accurate cyber hygiene habits can stop cyber villains in their tracks.
Find more resources on the ECNO website: Cyber Hygiene
WEEK 4: Digital Wellness
Even with cyber powers, cyberheroes also need to take care of their personal wellbeing by knowing to rest, pause and when to limit the use of digital technology and the internet. Knowing how to moderate our own use of digital technology is something we should all learn to do.
Find more resources on the ECNO website: Digital Wellness
Cyber awareness does not have to end in October thanks to ECNO’s K-12 Cyber Awareness Calendar! It helps educate students, teachers, families, and communities about the risks of using technology and the internet by promoting best practices in cyber safety, cyber security, and online privacy.
The Government of Canada’s Cyber Security Centre is also celebrating Cyber Month with a campaign of its own, “Fight Phishing: Ruin a Cyber Criminal’s Day!” Phishing is a cyber criminal’s attempt to get sensitive information by pretending to be a legitimate sender like a bank or a government organization. Visit the Get Cyber Safe campaign webpage to learn about the different aspects of phishing, including tips on how to protect yourself.
For additional learning, head over to the main Get Cyber Safe website for resources that help inform Canadians about cyber security and the steps they can take to protect themselves online. The page features useful information to help:
- Secure Your Accounts – Keep your information from being compromised.
- Secure Your Devices – Get tips to help you protect the devices you use every day.
- Secure Your Connections – Protect your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other connections.
Updated on Monday, October 24, 2022.