In honor of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Maryville University students in the Cyber Security program share their top 10 tips to keep businesses and individuals safe and secure online.

Cyber Security Awareness Month is held every October and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the National Cyber Security Alliance.

“Cybersecurity is important because it affects a wide range of people and no one is immune to cybercrime,” said Stacy Hollins, PhD, assistant dean of the Simon School of Business and associate professor of management information systems. “Hacks and data breaches can affect one individual or an organization that employees or services thousands of people. Companies are investing in cybersecurity because they know they have to build trust with their customers and that the number and degree of attacks are increasing.”

As part of their experiential learning, students in Maryville’s Cyber Security program work on campus in the newly expanded Cyber Fusion Center, a state-of-the-art learning space where they gain practical experience providing free information security analysis to more than 150 nonprofit organizations, including charities, churches, school districts and private schools, small businesses and social service providers.

These services are provided through the “Protect and Connect” program with funding support provided through a three-year, $435,000 grant from the PNC Foundation. In addition to these Cyber Security services, the “Protect and Connect” program includes computer coding training for underserved students and educational and networking opportunities for technology start-ups in the St. Louis area.