Canberrans are encouraged to take simple steps to stay safe and secure online this October as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month.
In 2024, Canberrans reported more than 7,000 scams to ScamWatch and lost more than $9 million to scams and cyber criminals.
The most common scams were investment scams, threats and romance scams, with the top contact methods including emails, text messages and calls.
This year's Cyber Security Awareness Month theme is 'building our cyber safe culture', with three key actions:
- Installing software updates to keep devices secure.
- Using a unique and strong passphrase on every account.
- Setting up multi-factor authentication.
Minister for the Public Service Rachel Stephen-Smith said it was important for individuals, workplaces and governments to remain vigilant online and protect themselves from scams and cybercrime.
"Cyber Security Awareness Month highlights the importance of protecting yourself online and securing devices and accounts from cyber threats," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
"This year's theme of 'building our cyber safe culture' is a reminder that cyber security should be a daily habit and small actions, like creating strong passphrases, can make a big difference."
Attorney-General Tara Cheyne said the ACT Government is undertaking a range of activities throughout October to promote cyber security and support public servants to stay safe and secure online, in addition to ongoing training and resources.
"The ACT Government is committed to fostering a cyber safe culture," Attorney-General Cheyne said.
"Every public servant has a role to play in helping secure the data and systems that support the delivery of services to our community."
