October marks the start of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Canada. Helping you stay safe online is important to us at the County of Barrhead, which is why we committed to being GetCyberSafe champions, and proclaimed October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month!
Cyber Month 2025 is all about forming strong online habits for a more secure future! Your future self will thank you for acting now. Follow along below for weekly challenges and helpful information!
FREE Learning Opportunities:
- Discover
Online Safety
- October 16, 2025, 11:00 AM
- Designed for people with beginner technical knowledge, this workshop will help equip you with information and tools to create strong passwords, safely download apps, and avoid online scams.
- Navigating Online Privacy & Security
- October 23, 2025, 11:00 AM
- Designed for people with intermediate technical knowledge, this workshop looks at how to keep your devices and personal life secure online. Topic include secure accounts, protection from malware, and preventing cyberstalking.
- Navigating Online Information
- October 29, 2025, 11:00 AM
- A hands-on workshop that teaches how to find reliable information, check sources and avoid misinformation. Learn practical strategies and find tools to make smarter choices about reading & watching information online.
Week 1: Prepare your future self TODAY
Want to know how securing your accounts can prepare you for the future? Follow these simple steps to secure your accounts:
Week 2: Bringing your devices up to speed
We rely on our devices to navigate the online world every day. Securing them now can make life much easier in the future! Follow these simple steps to protect your devices:
We rely on our devices to navigate the online world every day. Securing them now can make life much easier in the future! Follow these simple steps to protect your devices:
Week 3: Cyber threats are evolving - are your?
Cyber threats evolve, and so should you! Learn how to stay ahead of evolving threats like phishing and AI-powered scams:
- Learn to spot phishing, vishing, and smishing
- Report suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM)
- Understand how AI is being used by cyber criminals to make scams more misleading
Week 4: Starting new habits
Cyber safety starts with small, smart habits. Always think before you click and stay alert for suspicious messages and files. Build these simple steps into your daily routines:
- Recognize and avoid malware & ransomware
- Download safely & use trusted sources
- Choose anti-virus software that works for you
- Spot the signs of AI-generated scams & misinformation
Week 5: Staying updated to stay safe
Outdated software is an open door for cyber threats. Regularly updated software can help your devices be ready for anything in the future! Follow these simple steps to stay up-to-date:
- Enable automatic updates to fix bugs and patch vulnerabilities
- Learn how updates can help protect you from emerging threats
- Your devices could use a good SCRUB (Secure-Curate-Review-Update-Block)
Making cyber security easy and accessible is important! We encourage you to take some time to review the resources available through GetCyberSafe.
BONUS CONTENT: Never too early to learn cyber safety!
In an increasingly digital world, cyber security for kids is critical! Find great resources to teach cybersecurity with kids under 16 with KnowBe4's interactive activity kit for kids:
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