October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

BEK Communications is proud to be a five-year Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion with CISA and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA). As your communications cooperative, BEK is committed to secure, reliable technology and to helping our members build everyday habits that protect their families, businesses and communities.

Essentials for a Safer Digital Future
BEK encourages businesses and families to take these six practical actions today:

RECOGNIZE & AVOID PHISHING | Pause before clicking links, opening attachments or responding to unexpected emails, texts, calls or direct messages. Verify requests for money, passwords or security codes through a trusted phone number or another known channel.

USE STRONG PASSWORDS | Use long, random and unique passwords for every account. A password manager can create and securely store them, so you do not have to remember each one.

TURN ON MFA | Multifactor authentication adds protection beyond your password. Enable it especially for email, banking, social media and work accounts.

KEEP SOFTWARE UPDATED Keep devices, applications and browsers current. Turn on automatic updates whenever possible so important security fixes are installed promptly.

STAY SAFE ON SOCIAL MEDIA | Limit the personal details, locations and travel plans you share. Review privacy settings regularly and remember that scammers can use public information to make their messages more convincing.

USE AI SAFELY | AI can create convincing emails, images, videos and cloned voices in seconds. Verify unexpected requests through a trusted channel and never enter confidential information into an AI tool unless it is approved for that purpose.

“AI is accelerating at a pace unlike anything we have experienced. It brings tremendous opportunity, but it also helps criminals create convincing emails, images and cloned voices in seconds. We can no longer rely on poor spelling or an unfamiliar voice as a warning. Pause and verify unexpected requests through a trusted second channel especially requests involving money, passwords or sensitive information. These small, daily habits help protect our families, businesses and communities.”