Cybersecurity Awareness Month - What Can You Do This Week!

One day you get a text on your phone saying there is an emergency with your bank account. You are in a rush and click the link but realise it’s the wrong person.

Taking a minute to check can help protect your money and information. Cybersecurity isn’t just about hackers, coding and large companies. It is about making sure you make the correct decisions when using your emails, online shopping and taking pictures.

Every year there is Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. In 2026 The National Cybersecurity Alliance ran a campaign called "Don't Make It Easy for Them" which aimed to teach you good habits. However, you don’t have to wait until next October!

Here are some quick tips to implement. Even if you only have 15 mins!

Monday

Find out what your main accounts are. These would include your main email, banking apps, social media, cloud storage and any work/study related accounts.

Your email is a big one to consider, as you often get emails to change your password. If they have access to your email they can target many accounts.

Check your account settings to ensure your recovery number and email are correct. Ensure there is not any information you can no longer access. Check your devices that are logged into your account and log out of any you don’t recognise.

You don’t have to check all your accounts, just your top 3. Make a quick list of others to come back to.

Tuesday

Did you create a new password?

Having the same passwords can cause issues. You may get locked out of multiple accounts. Avoid having the same password for your shopping account and email.

Start by changing your passwords on your main accounts. Make them long and unique. Perhaps try using a reputable password manager.

If they offer passkeys this can be a great option to help avoid phishing.

Avoid sharing your passwords in chats, and don’t create a list of shared passwords. Take a few mins to change your passwords.

Wednesday

If the service offers extra security, ensure you have a strong password.

Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) will require you to do an extra step to login. This could be using a trust app, security key or verification code. This prevents people logging into your account easily.

Check your email, finance and social media accounts to see if they offer multi Factor Authentication. If they offer passkeys/security keys, use these. An authenticator app is also a great option. Generally SMS codes aren’t the best option but are better than nothing.

Ensure you store your recovery codes somewhere safe. Know how to regain access to your account if you lose your phone.

Never share any codes to login, or approve any logins you haven’t requested. These can be very realistic and be part of a scam.

Thursday

Even if your phone looks up to date it may be running an old operating system/app.

Check your Android/iPhone, Laptop, Web Browser and apps you regularly use for any updates. Install any security updates from an official source. Enable automatic updates if possible.

Ensure your home router is up to date. Check if they have any advice on updating the firmware. Ensure you have changed the default admin login details. If the device doesn’t have any security updates anymore, retire it.

If you are using a work device, ensure you follow their update policy.

Whilst it won’t stop all cyber attacks, it will help reduce any known issues.

Friday

Remember the emergency message from your bank on Monday? Take a few mins to understand why it looked real.

Phishing scams often come from a realistic company. They will tell you there is an issue with your package/payment or that your account will be closed unless you act quickly.

Don’t be fooled by bad grammar! Many scams are very professional and have well known brand names.

If they ask you to open a link/attachment, pay or enter a code double check. Open the official app or enter a known website. Never use the number provided.

Use the report feature on your email/messaging app. Delete/block the message.

A great tip for families is to have a chat about one suspicious message.

Saturday

What would you lose if your phone broke tomorrow? Family photos, important documents or months of work?

Having a reliable backup can help if you become a victim of theft, device failure, accidentally deleting and some cyber incidents. Choose a reputable cloud backup or external drive.

If you have some very important files, consider having an extra backup. For example having an external drive that isn’t constantly connected can help with some ransomware incidents.

Ensure you are actually doing the backup. Try opening up a file from your backup or using the restore function. A green tick isn’t as reassuring as knowing you can get your information back.

Ensure your backup accounts have strong authentication. Not all devices will have the deletion synced.

Sunday

Now your accounts and files are secure, take a look at your privacy.

Check your phone is requesting the correct permissions. Are they requesting location, camera, microphone, contacts and photos? Remove any you don’t need. Ensure you are not getting any sensitive notifications on your lock screen.

Create a simple plan. If you believe you have fallen victim to an account, use a trusted device to change your password, log out of any unknown sessions, check your recovery details and notify the relevant provider. If you think you could have fallen victim to a financial compromise, immediately contact your bank via their official channels.

If your device has been infected or your work account has been compromised, contact a qualified individual. Let your organisations security team know.

Ensure you have emergency contact details.

Can’t do all?

You don’t have to do all of this in one week. Start with securing your main email, unique passwords, MFA, updates. These are all easy to do and will help.

Set a reminder to check your account sessions, backups and privacy. Try to make Cybersecurity part of your everyday life.

With families explain what suspicious links are to your children and elderly family members. Use simple examples. With small businesses encourage your staff to report any questionable messages, they shouldn’t feel embarrassed. Someone should know what to do.

Whilst you can’t completely eliminate the risk, there are simple habits you can do to make common attacks much harder.

Final Thoughts

Cybersecurity Awareness Month runs across October, however the tips can be used any Monday in November (or any month!).

You don’t need any technical knowledge to improve your security. Ensure your main accounts are secure, don’t have the same passwords, use MFA, updates and double check any unusual items. Ensure you have copies of your important files.

Choose one thing to do today and one thing to do tomorrow. By the end of the week you will have done something valuable and made Cybersecurity part of your routine.