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It’s Cyber Security month, and Wisconsin residents are being urged to practice some digital hygiene.
Much like you wash your hands to ward off germs, the chair of the Wisconsin Homeland Security Council says keeping the digital side of your life clean can help protect you from unwanted viruses or identity theft. General Don Dunbar says there are five main steps to follow when keeping your systems clean and to prevent security loopholes; count, configure, control, patch, and repeat.
Counting means knowing what’s on your computer and network, configuring the right security settings, controlling who has access, updating your system and software, and then repeating all of those steps regularly. Taking those steps, Dunbar says, will protect you from the majority of threats that are out there. He compares it to taking your vitamins or getting a flu shot…both will not completely prevent something bad from happening to you, but they will help mitigate the risk.
Digital hygiene will be among many of the topics discussed this week, when the state holds its second Cyber Security Summit at Marquette University. Dunbar says the gathering of experts and officials from across the state will highlight a number of ongoing efforts to combat digital crimes and educating the public about potential threats.