We seem to be surrounded by discord and impasses, both online and in the real world. Whether it’s the insidious spread of disinformation in our current political climate, our inability to find workable solutions for homelessness or at our borders, the impact that COVID has had on our society, or another hurricane or heat wave, we have lost confidence in our ability to manage daily conditions on the ground or to know which challenges are worth spending the time on to plan.
Despite such conditions, it’s possible to create well-made plans with our eyes wide open that will serve us well in a crisis. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which has grown into a collaborative effort between government and industry to enhance cybersecurity awareness, encourage actions by the public to reduce online risk and generated discussion on cyber threats on a national and global scale The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) advises that there are four basic steps both individuals and businesses can take to better manage their online actions:
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are long, random, unique and include all four character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create strong passwords for each of your accounts.
Turn On Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)
You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable MFA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media and financial accounts.
Recognize & Report Phishing
Be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message.
Update Software
Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to ensure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check for updates if automatic updates are not available.
I would add to this excellent advice from CISA: be suspicious of email from unknown users, whether it’s a text message, a social media message, an email, or even a voice mail. It only takes one mistake to cost you hours of reporting a hack as well as removing malware from your device. Finally, always take advantage of the privacy controls software allows you to set up, particularly where social media is concerned.
Last month was National Preparedness Month, designed by the federal government to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. Planning for such events is relatively practical. You’ll need to create an emergency supplies kit to support you and your family and pets for three to five days. Here’s a link to FEMA’s site and a list of supplies, issues to consider, and plans to make.
You’ll want to sign up for your city’s emergency alerts -- such alerts work well in most instances, except when deemed unnecessary, as was the case in New York City, where some basement apartment dwellers became victims last month because they had not been warned to evacuate. If your disaster requires you to quickly leave your home and go to another form of shelter, you’ll want to have the route clearly in mind – in addition to the fact that no emergency alerts were sent in Lahaina, the single road evacuation route clogged up and the only option for escape ultimately was jumping into the ocean to escape the fires.
Disaster preparedness can also be a means of getting to know your neighbors. In the Pacific Northwest, earthquake preparedness is at the forefront of planning. In my neighborhood, we have a home that doubles as a command center and a volunteer group of team captains for zones that cover roughly 300 households. We have established first aid and care stations in each zone, with some medical supplies as well. The goal has also been to have both human and tool inventories for each zone so we can call upon those with special training or skills if we are (for example) without power for up to 48 hours or without power and city services for up to seven days. Once a year, that plan is tested across all zones.
While the number of scenarios we need to consider these days may have increased, our ability to plan and to make backup plans has also grown, which is, after all what good risk management is all about. Handling your personal risk, whether at home, at school, at work, online, or on the road, is not a responsibility that can be delegated.
Originally Published in ASA News & Notes October 9, 2023
Annie Searle
Searle is an Associate Teaching Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington. She is founder and principal of ASA Risk Consultants, a Seattle-based advisory firm. She spent 10 years at Washington Mutual Bank, most of them as a senior executive. Annie is a member of the CISA 10 Regional Infrastructure Security Group. She was an inaugural inductee in 2011 into the Hall of Fame for the International Network of Women in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. She writes a column monthly for ASA News & Notes and is the author of several books or book chapters. She is also a member of the emeritus board of directors for the Seattle Public Library Foundation.