McMaster community gets more cyber safe

To mark National Cyber Security Awareness Month, McMaster's IT Security team encouraged the community to complete the Government of Canada's Get Cyber Safe Checkup.

By Peter McDonald, Office of the AVP and CTO November 6, 2020

A laptop keyboard with a padlock on it.
Photo by Jakub Krechowicz/Shutterstock

October was National Cyber Security Month — and with most learning, teaching and working moving online this year, cyber security is more important than ever.

To promote awareness — and to have a little fun — McMaster’s IT security team asked the McMaster community to complete the Get Cyber Safe Checkup, then share their results with friends and the team on social media for the chance to win prizes.

Drumroll, please

Three winners were selected: Zoe, who won wireless headphones, Amber, who won a USB microphone, and Ameil, who won McMaster merchandise.

More importantly, every member of the McMaster community who engaged with the checkup and the IT security team learned more about cyber security.

Roger Couldrey, McMaster’s vice-president of administration, said thank you via video to all those who participated — and reminded the community about the importance of cyber security.

McMaster has a cyber safe toolkit that can help those working, learning and teaching remotely learn about the elements of staying safe online, including choosing a strong password, being aware of phishing attempts and securing online environments.

For more info on IT security at McMaster, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram for tips, news and upcoming initiatives.

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