National Cyber Security Awareness Month: How to keep yourself protected online

CHICAGO (WLS) -- As National Cyber Security Awareness Month is upon us, are you doing all you can to ensure you don't become the next victim of a cybercrime?

The National Cyber Security Alliance has a few tips to keep yourself protected.

The easiest thing you can do is change your passwords regularly.

Use the longest password you can think of. Consider the last book you read, a news headline or another phrase and then add capitalization and punctuation.

Don't forget about double logins. Multi-factor authentication can help protect you by adding a verification process in case someone else tries to sign onto one of your accounts from a new device.

Cybercriminals also have numerous ways to send spam or phishing attacks, which can collect personal and financial information or infect your devices with malware and viruses.

Make sure you don't reveal any personal or financial information in an email, and always check the security of a website before sharing sensitive information online.

For other tips to stay safe online, you can learn how to protect yourself with these resources: https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/online-safety-basics/.

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies has also compiled a toolkit to promote positive and lasting cybersecurity habits: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2019.