Employee actions that strengthen your cybersecurity defense this October

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. During this annual event, government and cybersecurity leaders, along with the insurance community, come together to raise awareness of the importance of cybersecurity.

2026 marks the 23rd year of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This month and beyond, here are four simple steps your employees can follow to help keep your business cybersecure.

1. Use strong passwords and a password manager

Strong and unique passwords across workplace accounts are critical to protecting data. They should be lengthy, include a variety of characters and lack any personal details or predictable patterns. The most effective passwords are passphrases, which involve a string of four or more words or characters that form a memorable, albeit random, sentence (e.g., “@pplesRtheB3stFruit!”). Password managers are also powerful tools that help employees create such passwords for each of their accounts. Plus, they make it easy to store passwords and user IDs.

2. Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA)

Employees need more than a password to protect their online accounts, and enabling MFA makes your organization significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable MFA on all online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media and financial accounts, and use authentication apps or hardware tokens for added security.

3. Recognize and report phishing

Phishing emails, texts and calls are the number one way data gets compromised. Employees should be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls asking for personal information. They should not share sensitive information or credentials over the phone or email unless necessary and avoid clicking on links or opening attachments sent from unknown sources. They should also verify the authenticity of requests by contacting the individual or organization through a trusted channel and report phishing attempts to the appropriate authorities or IT department.

4. Update software

Ensuring your organization’s software is up to date is the best way to make sure your organization has the latest security patches and updates on its devices. Regularly check manually for updates if automatic updates are not available and keep operating systems, antivirus software, web browsers and applications up to date.

We are here to help. Contact us today for more cybersecurity guidance and cyber insurance solutions.

This document is not intended to be exhaustive, nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel or an insurance professional for appropriate advice. ©2026 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.