How You Can Get Involved During National Cyber Security Awareness Month

The month of October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of NCSAM and the theme is Our Shared Responsibility.

With each passing year, the internet becomes a more and more integral part of our daily lives. At home, school, work or on the go, we use the internet to communicate, learn and play. Beyond that, the internet is also used for sensitive financial transactions, data storage, healthcare tracking – the list goes on. This is where the theme Our Shared Responsibility ties in. The internet connects everyone, therefore every individual shares responsibility to secure the internet for everyone else.  We can’t just rely on businesses or the government to manage this for us.  We have to take charge of our own security and privacy.  One of the simple things we can do is to engage in safe internet practices and educate others about how to promote cybersecurity.

In honor of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, we created an infographic, Meet the Crooks Behind Identity Theft, which presents surprising facts about identity theft and how it can be prevented by following simple steps online. Identity theft is a serious concern and affects people of all ages – even children and the elderly!

Have you or anyone you know looked at your credit card statement only to find a huge balance and tons of purchases that you never made?  Chances are you were a victim of identity theft. Identity theft is when an unauthorized person steals your private information and uses it maliciously for their benefit – typically for financial gain.

The odds of identity theft happening to you are much greater than you think. Identity theft is growing 15-20% annually and affects more people of all ages every year. In fact, 12.6 million people were victims of identity theft in 2012 alone. The number of identity theft victims is so high because many of us are not aware of the dangers of the internet and the easy ways identity thieves steal information.

Meet the Crooks Behind Identity Theft introduces you to the types of thieves to watch out for and provides ways you can protect yourself from identity theft and cybercrime.

We highly recommend that you  pass along  our infographic  to your friends, family and community as a good way to share responsibility. To find more ways to get involved, visit the National Cyber Security Alliance website.  Together we can make the internet safe and secure for everyone.

For additional cybersecurity awareness facts and resources please visit: intel.com/lifehacks.