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Attorney General Mike DeWine
DeWine Launches
Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that
his office is launching a cybersecurity awareness campaign to help
protect Ohioans from identity theft and cyber fraud. The grant-funded
program includes cybersecurity messages that will be displayed in
public transit systems and made available to libraries and schools
throughout Ohio.
“We want to give people practical tips to stay safe online,” Attorney
General DeWine said. “Cybercrime and identity theft are serious
problems in Ohio and across the country, and we want to let people know
what they can do to help protect themselves.”
This year, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section received
a $25,000 grant from the Sears Consumer Protection and Education Fund
to build public awareness of cybersecurity.
As part of the program, signs displaying cybersecurity messages will be
placed in public transportation vehicles, mainly buses, in Cleveland,
Dayton, Toledo, and Columbus (Ohio State), beginning in October
(National Cyber Security Awareness Month).
Those same signs will be made available to Ohio libraries and schools,
which can request copies to display in their facilities.
Additionally, consumer educators with the Attorney General’s office
have trained students at seven Ohio law schools to deliver
cybersecurity presentations to their communities. The presentation,
called Cybersecurity Help, Information, and Protection Program (CHIPP),
focuses on security and privacy.
Tips for staying safe in cyberspace include:
Use a strong, unique password for each of your
online accounts.
Don’t respond to unexpected email or text message
requests for personal information.
Understand how your information will be used, saved,
and stored on social media.
Don’t enter passwords, credit card numbers, or other
personal information while using free public Wi-Fi.
Don’t send money to strangers using wire transfers
or prepaid money cards, which are difficult to trace or recover.
If someone calls you unexpectedly and asks for
remote access to your computer, don’t provide it, even if the caller
claims to represent a computer company.
Libraries, schools, or other community groups seeking cybersecurity
resources or presentations should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s
Office by visiting www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or by calling
800-282-0515 and asking for the Consumer Education Unit.
Copies of the cybersecurity messages that will be displayed in public
transit systems and made available to libraries and schools are
available on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.
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