Cyber Security Awareness Month is an international campaign held every October to share information about the importance of cyber security. Cyber security is the protection of computer systems from theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or data as well as protection from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.  This year’s theme “Life Happens Online” really hits home as being connected is now more important than ever.

The District of Saanich and its staff are focused on helping Saanich be more secure online by increasing our knowledge about the simple steps to take to protect ourselves, our families, our workplace, and our devices. We’re not doing it alone – there’s lots of information and help out there. A great place to start is the Government of Canada’s Get Cyber Safe website.

We know that this past year has been a difficult one for many Canadians, but two groups have faced unique challenges - kids who missed out on school, friends and activities, and small and medium businesses where business suddenly wasn’t business as usual. Here are some tips to consider:

Help your kids

If we’ve learned one thing recently, it’s that online learning comes with challenges. Help your kids be safe in all their online activities, including getting that school project done:

Cyber security for kids: An introduction - Get Cyber Safe

Help a small business

Do you own a small business or know someone who does? Stay secure by learning and sharing your knowledge, including the following cyber safety checkup. It only takes a few minutes:

Take the Get Cyber Safe Checkup - Get Cyber Safe