When I asked my new client about the login and password to their web host and domain registrar, they told me the credentials were the same for both.
It’s much easier for me to to use the same login and password for both, that way I don’t have to remember different logins.
It wasn’t the first time I had a client who used the same login/password combination for their business website.
And it wasn’t the first time I explained the importance of security by using unique logins and passwords as I told my new client about why they should use a password manager.
As a website designer, I’m often in a role of educating clients about digital security. Password managers are only one part of keeping yourself and your business secure online.
Which is why I’m always happy to share and promote National Cyber Security Awareness Month every year.
What is National Cyber Security Awareness Month?
This October marks the 17th anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), an annual event dedicated to helping people and businesses learn to stay safe and secure online.
Launched by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in October 2004, initial efforts were focused on getting people to update their antivirus software twice a year, at the same time people changed their smoke alarm batteries during Daylight Saving Time.
Over the years, the event grew and expanded its outreach to include people and organizations throughout the United States.
The focus changed to helping people and organizations educate themselves on protecting and securing their personal information as well as organization information online.
As more people are working from home in 2020, it’s more important than ever to make sure your information is private and protected at all times from cyber threats.
This year NCSAM is promoting a new free tool, Security Planner, to give you a personalized action plan for digital safety.
Security Planner
If you want to stay safe online, but you’re not sure where to start, Security Planner is for you.
Created by Consumer Reports, the online Security Planner tool is a helpful three-step guide that asks users:
- What devices they use to store private information
- How they want to protect themselves
- What online safety concerns they have
Based on the answers you provide, Security Planner creates a personalized action plan with steps on how to protect themselves and stay safe on the digital devices you use.
I completed the three-step guide in less than three minutes.
The personalized action plan provided me 31 steps, many of which I’ve already taken, including:
- Enable multifactor authentication
- Get a password manager
- Stop phishing attempts
- Check my account security
I was impressed with the information provided for security, which highlighted Google’s Security Checkup as well as Facebook’s Privacy Checkup.
Wrapping Up
Staying safe online is critical for individuals and organizations. It’s up to you to educate yourself on how you can work safely online and protect your data.
The Security Planner is a helpful resource to get started on your digital safety journey.
If you want to learn more about the Security Planner, three free workshops are available this month at
