Zahid Anwar, associate professor of computer science and Challey Scholar, recently was interviewed about cybersecurity best practices on KVLY’s “North Dakota Today” morning television show.

According to Anwar, October is recognized as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the theme for 2021 is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.”

“It’s important for everyone to have a basic knowledge of cybersecurity so as to be able to make informed decisions about their personal security, but the bottom line is that we have a data breach almost every week, and many Americans have experienced data theft, so it is something to be aware about,” Anwar said.

He advised everyone “to update your software as soon as updates are available, keep backups of your data in two places and close accounts that you don’t use all that often.”

Paying careful attention to passwords is also important. "Instead of having small passwords and recycling them over and over again," Anwar said, "Have longer passphrases and have them be unique."

He also urges people to learn to recognize phishing emails sent by attackers posing as legitimate businesses that are designed to steal user credentials. Lastly, he suggests limiting the amount of sensitive information you store online.

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