For 22 years, October has been recognized as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the United States, a month focused on raising awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.

This NCSAM awareness campaign is a collaboration between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance, which is a non-profit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world. These groups partnered “to create resources and messaging for organizations to use when they talk with their employees, customers, and memberships about staying safe online.”

For National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Delta Community is offering our members and the general public the following five simple tips to help enhance online security. These are basic actions that everyone should keep in mind not only during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but every day throughout the year.

1. Turn on multifactor authentication across devices and accounts

Set up multifactor authentication on all of your devices and online accounts that offer it to help make it harder for them to be hacked. Multifactor authentication means using an additional credential in addition to a username and password to access your accounts. The additional credential is created by the device/account and sent to you as an email or text for one-time use.

2. Update your software for your computer, mobile phone and internet router—both their operating system and applications

Regularly check for updates to your devices’ operating system and all your software, including your web browser. Install any operating system patches or updates for your computers, mobile devices and internet router so the software is the current version and think strongly about agreeing to turn on automatic updates. Software updates have needed fixes for errors and vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers to harm or hijack your digital devices.

3. Stop and think before you click a link in an email or a text from any person or company you don’t know and trust

Think before you click on anything that you have no reason to trust, as it may be a phishing scam. Specifically…

• Don't click on links in emails and text messages from senders you don't know.
• Don’t respond at all to any spam emails and text messages; just delete them immediately.
• Don't open any types of files attached to emails and messages from senders you don't recognize.
• Always scan all downloaded email attachments with an antivirus program before opening them.
• Always hover over links you receive in email or text messages to check the full URL-hyperlinks for misspellings and other warning signs of an incorrect, fake copycat address for a malicious, fake website.

4. Use strong, long, complex passwords for websites and phone apps

Use long and strong passwords, and maybe a dedicated password manager to generate and encrypt unique passwords. Consider replacing any simple, short passwords with new, complex and unique passwords with 16-20 different characters, including upper and lowercase letters, numbers and characters that are not letters or numbers.

5. For any connected memory device, scan first, use second

Always scan USB flash memory drives, Secure Digital (SD) cards, CompactFlash, external hard and solid-state drives (SSD)—and all other insertable and connected storage media—with an antivirus program before opening any files on the drive. If you don’t want to purchase an antivirus program, some reputable, global software companies offer feature-limited, free versions of their programs that can be evaluated and then used at no cost.

If you’re concerned about your Delta Community accounts, contact us immediately

• If you think any of your Delta Community accounts have been compromised or may be at risk, immediately contact our Member Care Center via our toll-free number at 800-544-3328 with whatever details you have, including dates, amounts of money, email messages, email addresses, text messages, phone numbers and names.
• Please remember that Delta Community will never call, text or email you to ask for your checking, savings or investment account, ATM, debit or credit card numbers or passwords, your telephone access (IVR) PIN or one-time passcode.
• The Credit Union will also never ask members to send money electronically as a test or share one-time passcodes received via email or text.
• If someone purporting to be from Delta Community calls and asks for any of this type of information, hang up and call the Credit Union Member Care Center at the number above.

Did you know that Delta Community offers a monitoring service that may enhance security for your accounts, PrivacyGuard?

Consider an identity theft monitoring insurance policy. If cybersecurity is a serious concern, then it may be helpful to look at investing in an identity monitoring plan to help keep your personal and credit information safer. Delta Community Credit Union and its wholly owned subsidiary, Members Insurance Advisors, now offer members identity protection plans from PrivacyGuard.¹ All PrivacyGuard plans offer comprehensive tools such as credit monitoring, dark and public web monitoring of your personal information, activity alerts and access to fraud resolution experts.²

Would you like to step up to more suggestions for enhancing security for your computer, cellphone, or home internet network?

More information on protecting yourself and your devices—and some financial advice—is available from free, monthly Delta Community Financial Education Center webinars on many different money-related topics. Please visit the Financial Education Center's Events & Seminars page to register for its no-cost, on-demand webinars.

Delta Community’s blog and security posts have a lot of advice on handling online personal security:

• Avoid fake check scams.
• Learn check-writing tips.
• How to hang up on imposter scams, part 1.
• How to hang up on imposter scams, part 2.
• Did you know that only scammers get paid with gift cards or cryptocurrency?
• Think for a minute, and then don’t click 'unsubscribe' from spam emails and texts—managing spam.
• Learn how to make your mobile and online payments safer.
• How to protect yourself online while working or learning from home.
• Why to question your security questions.
• ​How to secure your home network.
• You should know how to tell if someone’s stolen your identity and how to prevent it.
• How to get a stronger password and use a password manager.
• Be cautious about using public wi-fi networks.
• Be vigilant for spoofed phone calls.
• Harden your email account against an attack.

¹The benefits in PrivacyGuard are provided by Trilegiant Corporation.

²View important product benefit information and restrictions.