It’s Cyber Security Awareness Month!

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Step up your Cyber Fitness

Cyber Security Awareness Month (Cyber Month) is an internationally recognized public awareness campaign held each October to help the public learn more about the importance of cybersecurity. The campaign helps Canadians stay secure online by teaching them simple steps to protect themselves and their devices.

The theme for Cyber Security Awareness Month 2023 is Step up your cyber fitness. It’s all about stretching your cyber security muscles and taking things one step at a time! Cyber security is a shared responsibility, so join us and other organizations across Canada in promoting cyber security by participating in Cyber Month.

You can learn more about Cyber Security Awareness Month on the Government of Canada website - Get Cyber Safe.  If you have any questions about cyber security and online safety at Lakehead University, please contact the Technology Services Centre by email helpdesk@lakeheadu.ca 

This year’s focus is on four key behaviours:

  • Enabling multifactor authentication
  • Using strong passwords and a password manager
  • Updating software
  • Recognizing and reporting phishing

Let's Get Started

  • Take the Get Cyber Safe Checkup and the Cyber Fitness Assessment.
  • Explore the collection of resources provided below anytime throughout the month.
  • Take the Cyber Safety Quiz for a chance to win 1 of 6 $100 Lakehead University Bookstore Gift Cards (3 per campus). 
Week 1: Warmup week - October 2 to 6

The best workouts always begin with a good warmup. This week, we’ll lay the groundwork for the rest of Cyber Month, covering topics like:

Week 2: Account workout - October 9 to 13

Here’s where the workout really begins. This week, we’ll work up a metaphorical sweat by learning how and why to:

Week 3: Learning self-defence - October 16 to 20

Beat cyber criminals to the punch by defending your devices! This week, we’ll cover the ways you can keep your devices protected, including:

Week 4: Maintaining muscle - October 23 to 27
Staying in good cyber shape means keeping on top of your security habits. This week, we’ll talk about the ways you can automate your cyber safety, like:
Week 5 - It's a Wrap - Oct 30 and 31

As Cyber Security Awareness Month (Cyber Month) comes to a close, we would like to thank members of the university community, for participating in this important campaign and helping Lakehead University in its efforts to step up Canadians’ cyber fitness!

Although Cyber Month 2023 has ended, our journey to becoming more cyber-safe is just beginning. Just like in fitness where consistency is key, we need to stay vigilant in our efforts to stay safe online. Get Cyber Safe has numerous resources we can use all year round to protect ourselves and Lakehead University from cyber threats. We encourage you to follow the campaign on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for the latest cyber security advice.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to take the Cyber Awareness Quiz before midnight October 31st, 2023 for a chance to win 1 of 6 Lakehead University Bookstore gift cards.

Once again, thank you for making this Cyber Month a success. It's dedication like yours that truly makes us stronger in our digital world.

Take the Cyber Safe Quiz

Now that you learned more about cyber security and safety, take this short quiz to test your knowledge and for a chance to win 1 of 6 $100 Bookstore Gift Cards (three per campus).  The draw is open to current students, staff, researchers and faculty at Lakehead University.  Only one prize per person will be awarded. The submission deadline is October 31, 2023 EST, at 11:59 pm.  Good Luck!

Congratulations to our winners!

Orillia Campus: Emily, Jessie, Suzanne

Thunder Bay Campus: Crystal, Jonathan, Tuula

Notes: Banner image courtesy of Get Cyber Safe

Additional events may be scheduled throughout the month.  Watch for updates in the Lakehead Events calendar and on this website.