Pocatello kicking off cybersecurity campaign

The city is partnering with the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to stress the importance of cyber security and online safety.

The campaign will mainly be online. Pocatello will be providing tips through its main Twitter account and the IT department’s Facebook page.

Chris Sorensen, the city’s chief information officer, said people are still too careless with their information and with what they find online. He also said if you compromise your cybersafety, you could indirectly compromise someone else’s.

“Say somebody here in the city clicks on that incorrect link and it downloads a virus,” he said. “That virus can then jump all the way around our network and it can damage it. That’s where it happens. It’s usually an insider mistake.”

Sorensen has these tips to protect yourself online:

– Set strong passwords with eight or more characters and a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols.

– Don’t share passwords with anyone.

– Keep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized by installing updates.

– Limit the amount of personal information you share online.

– Use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.

– Be cautious about what you receive or read online. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.