Welcome to the SANS Tip of the Day site. Each day we post a new tip that focuses on and explains a specific topic and actionable steps people can take to protect themselves, their family and their organization. In addition, each tip is linked to a respective OUCH! newsletter so you can learn more about the topic, in over 20 languages. The Tip of the Day program is distributed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. You are welcome to use these tips within your organization or share with family and friends, the only limitation is you cannot modify them and must reference the source. If you have any suggestions or ideas for new tips, please contact us at SSA-Community@sans.org.
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) create encrypted tunnels when you connect to the Internet. They are a fantastic way to protect your privacy and data, especially when traveling and connecting to untrusted or unknown networks, such as at hotels or coffee shops. Use a VPN whenever possible, both for work and personal use.
One of the most effective ways you can protect your computers and devices at home is to make sure both the operating system and your applications are patched and updated. Enable automatic updating whenever possible.
To learn more, check out this OUCH! newsletter.
Anti-Virus May 7, 2021
Make sure you have anti-virus software installed on your computer and that it is automatically updating. However, keep in mind that no anti-virus can catch all malware; your computer can still be infected. That is why it's so important you use common sense and be wary of any messages that seem odd or suspicious.
To learn more, check out this OUCH! newsletter.
Older Generation May 6, 2021
Using technology securely can be overwhelming or confusing, especially for those who did not grow up with it. When helping secure those who are uncomfortable with technology focus on just the basics - 1) be aware of social engineering attacks 2) secure your home network 3) keep your systems updated 4) use strong, unique passwords 5) backup your key personal data
To learn more, check out this OUCH! newsletter.
Reporting an Incident May 5, 2021
Bad guys are very persistent, eventually anyone can make a mistake. If a phone call from the "Help Desk" doesn't sound quite right, if an email seems suspicious or if a program you installed starts acting funny, ask for help! In addition, perhaps you lost a work laptop or a USB drive. The sooner you report an incident, the sooner we can help resolve the problem.
Tip of the Day Team
The Tip of the Day program is developed through a rigorous process involving numerous volunteers. These tips would not be possible without the hard work of the people below.
Advisory Board
- Allison Hickman
- Andrew Richter
- Janet Roberts
- Karen McDowell
- Mariano M. Del Rio
- Rhonda Kelly
- Michael Sands
- Ed Yuwono
- Stephanye Schuyler
- Mark Ryan del Mroal Talabis
- Thomas McMahon
- Vaman Amarjeet
