10/10/2026
It's Cybersecurity Awareness Month!
Did you know there were over 1.3 million identity theft complaints filed with the FTC in 2025? That's 148 reports every hour, on the hour, for an entire year -- some serious numbers! It's cost US consumers $27.3 billion dollars in 2025. That's billion with a B! When you are already dealing with financial stressors, the last thing you need is to add concerns about identity theft or stolen financial passwords to the list.
The best way you can safeguard your information is by following good cybersecurity practices:
1. Maintain the most recent version of your programs. Cyber criminals can use weaknesses in older versions to hack into your devices and steal important private information.
2. Make strong passwords. And make plenty of them! Reusing the same password for every account is a huge risk, even if it's a strong password. Make sure you update it frequently!
3. Back up your files on a regular basis. Make sure you use a secure space to keep backups of these items to keep them safe and up-to-date.
4. Make use of antivirus software. Keep your computer safe by preventing viruses and other malicious software from taking root.
5. Use caution when using public Wi-Fi. Don't submit private information when on an unsecured network! You never know who may have access to your device through it.
Once you have your financial info safeguarded, the next thing you can do is understand it -- and work on getting it to work for you! Tri-CAP has some resources to help get started. Visit our website to review topics, and reach out for these free virtual courses!
https://tricap.org/what-we-do/self-sufficiency/money-management/
