October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), and Microsoft supports the national campaign for cyber security education and awareness put forth by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA).
Our support includes releasing the results of the NCSAM 2012 online scam defense survey. The research revealed that U.S. adults have encountered roughly eight different online scams on average. Most respondents feel they’re unlikely to fall victim, but few feel completely protected because newer scams are taking advantage of social networks to impersonate friends, loved ones, or others they know and trust. When it comes to online deception, adults most feared impersonation scams such as fake antivirus alerts (40%).
Help protect yourself and your family from online deception with our top cyber security tips:
- Be defensive with sensitive information
- Create varied and strong passwords or phrases
- Boost your computer’s security
- Connect with others carefully
- Watch out for scams