October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the Government of Canada’s theme this year is “Your best defence is you.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way cybercriminals operate, making some scams and online threats more convincing than ever. While the technology behind these threats is evolving, one thing remains the same: your awareness, judgement and everyday cyber security habits are among your strongest defences.
Being your own best defence does not mean becoming a cyber security expert. It means recognizing that simple everyday actions can make a real difference. Taking a moment to verify a suspicious message, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) and using strong, unique passwords can help protect your accounts, devices and personal information. In a recent survey,
- 59% of Canadians reported experiencing at least one type of cyber incident in the last year
- 73% of Canadians are concerned about AI-related cybercrime
- 42% of Canadians feel confident they can recognize AI-generated content
Check out the short video clips below for tips on spotting and avoiding scams. Also visit getcybersafe.gc.ca’s resources page for materials you can use and share.