Stop relying on strong passwords alone. Instead, use your purchasing power to demand better security: check for patch updates, bug bounty programs, clear privacy statements, and easy opt-outs before buying from any company. Tell vendors why you're not buying if they fall short.
Chapters
How should we all celebrate October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month? Well, I could opine and say you should really have strong passwords and never reuse them. Actually, you should never reuse them. Or tell you how important patching or updating your software is, which it is, but that's boring. Instead, I want you to evaluate your choices and your practices in how you remain secure, how you remain private and safe in our digital ecosystem. In fact, what I ask of you is I want a change in mindset. I want you as a consumer, when you're looking to buy that next product, software, device, toy, whatever it is, Evaluate the company that's providing that service or device, right? Are they ethical? Are they secure? Do they have a bug bounty program, a good privacy statement? Is it easy to opt out, right, on their website for privacy? Yeah, or do they release patches on a regular basis? Right? Evaluate them because that's really the best we can do. And if we start deciding to buy or not to buy something because of security, privacy, or safety issues, that sends a powerful message, an economic message. And as we all do this, what it does is it creates cybersecurity as a competitive advantage. And feel free to let those companies know, yeah, I didn't buy your product because I see you don't regularly patch, or you don't have a bug bounty program, or you're not supporting these privacy efforts. Let them know that. Right. Us as consumers, we have tremendous power, not individually, but collectively. And we should be looking at those products and services that we're going to incorporate into our digital lives. We've been— we should be assessing those companies because that is the best hallmark that we really have in understanding whether what we're purchasing is secure, safe, and private. So this is my challenge to everyone on October Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
