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Online Safety Tips
Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office wants to remind residents of simple safety tips that can help make our community safer online.

By following these tips, we can reduce our vulnerability to online criminals who attempt to scam individuals or steal personal information.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides the following safety tips to help you stay safe online:

Create strong passwords - Do not use the same password for multiple accounts. Never share your password. When creating a password, include sixteen characters or more using a random combination of mixed-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
Recognize and report phishing - If you have doubts about the legitimacy of a message received, contact the known sender by phone or your Internet Service Provider (or your company's IT department if at work) before opening the message. Do not click on links included in suspicious emails or messages.
Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) - Enable and complete the steps for MFA on all accounts where the setting is available. Contact your email provider for assistance if needed.
Update software - Install all confirmed updates for your devices as soon as possible, or enable automatic updates.
For more information about how to stay safe online, please visit the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

 
Keeping Children Safe Online

Children being online presents additional challenges because of their innocence, curiosity, and desire for independence. Common dangers encountered by children online include cyber predators, cyberbullying, and identity theft.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides the following tips for parents to help keep their children safe online:

Be involved - Supervise your child's online activities while teaching them good computer habits. Consider participating in online activities together.
Consider implementing parental controls - Restrict or allow certain websites to be viewed using parental control settings. Some browsers include built-in parental control options.
Keep lines of communication open - Let your child know they can approach you with any questions or concerns about behaviors or situations they may encounter online.
Keep your computer in an open area - Place computers in high-traffic areas of the home so activity can be easily monitored.
Monitor computer activity - Be aware of what your child is doing online, including the websites they visit and who they communicate with.
Set rules and warn about dangers - Establish clear boundaries for computer use that are appropriate for your child's age, knowledge, and maturity.
For more information about keeping children safe online, please visit the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

 
Thank you for helping make our community a safer place to live and raise a family.

Sheriff Ruth Ann Dickerson
Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office

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