I am sure you have heard by now of the escalating tensions in the Middle East, but you may not be aware of related cyber security threats, phishing emails and other attacks coming from that part of our world.
It is a good reminder of the importance of knowing how to protect yourself and the city.
Training
To everyone who has already taken your online cyber security training, THANK YOU for helping to protect the city.
For those who have not, please make this a priority. It takes about an hour and is full of useful, practical steps WE ALL need to be taking every day. Here is the link to the training.
You can also go to the portal icon on your computer desktop, then choose “KnowBe4” to access the training.
New Tools
Over the next few months, IT will be deploying additional security tools and measures to protect the city. The first two tools that will be showing up soon on your computer are:
A button on the Outlook toolbar you can use to report suspicious emails. An auto-generated message reminding you not to click on links or open files from people you do not know and to generally use extreme caution with links and files.
Look for an email from IT with details on how to use the new features.
Follow These Tips
As a reminder, here are some other essential steps every city employee needs to take every day:
Don’t open emails from people you don’t recognize. Double check emails from people you know that seem out of character, have strange grammar or otherwise seem off in some way.
Carefully look at websites you visit. Malicious sites often look just like the legitimate versions, with a slightly different website address or other small differences.
Be wary of provocative subject lines, like contests, breaking “news” and other “click bait.”Pay attention to world events. For example, we have gotten word that recent phishing emails may have the word “oil” or Iran-related news in the subject lines.
When in doubt, call x7577 (public safety users dial x2265) or open a ticket with the Service Desk. IT staff will help you determine what to do.
Thank you for keeping Carlsbad safe.