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Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights online safety practices that can help protect individuals and organizations against common security threats. This year, those best practices have never been more important. Cyber threats are increasing, costing up to $1.5 trillion globally, with human error facilitating most attacks.

To make it easier to keep up with the constantly growing threats, many organizations promote the simplicity of the “Core 4” Habits" as a good way for each individual to increase their safety online: 

• Use strong, unique passwords with a password manager (BW recommends KeePass. Click here for an updated link to installing and using KeePass. (The link sent in an earlier email did not work for many of our readers.)
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on personal accounts (your BW accounts are already MFA-enabled via Okta).
• Install software and system updates promptly. 
• Be vigilant about phishing; “Think before you click” on suspicious emails, texts, and links.

This month (and every month), we’re here to help BW team members improve cybersecurity behaviors both at home and in the workplace.  

• Consider attending one of two weekly live forums via Microsoft Teams, where the BW Information Security team will talk briefly about prevalent topline threats, plus take your cybersecurity questions. 
• This newsletter will be delivered every Wednesday, so tune back in each week for useful cybersecurity tips PLUS a weekly chance to win a prize (for U.S.-based team members only) or make it to our leaderboard (for all team members) through a timed quiz contest. 

Sources:

Dhaliwal, J. (2025). Secure Your World This Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Secure Your World This Cybersecurity Awareness Month | McAfee Blog. 

Miliefsky, G. (March 13, 2025). The True Cost of Cybercrime: Why Global Damages Could Reach $1.2 – $1.5 Trillion by End of Year 2025. The True Cost of Cybercrime: Why Global Damages Could Reach $1.2 - $1.5 Trillion by End of Year 2025 - Cyber Defense Magazine.

Hetler, A. (May 18, 2022). 5 reasons software updates are important. TechTarget blog.

A Weekly Chance to Compete!

Each week through October 22, you’ll receive the link to a new Cybersecurity Awareness Challenge. Here are the details: 

• Quiz Challenge Week 1 launches today (link is below); then subsequent contests will launch October 8, 15 and 22. 
• Each week’s new challenge will be due the following Tuesday by 8 a.m. CDT.      
• One entry per team member. 
• This quiz is not anonymous. Your name will be recorded upon submission.       
• Winners will be posted in our weekly newsletter throughout October. 
• U.S.-based team members only:  Each week, a prize will be provided to the U.S.-based team member who successfully submitted the most correct answers before the Tuesday 8 a.m. CDT deadline. Ties will be settled through a drawing from the names of everyone who successfully submitted the same number of the most correct answers before the Tuesday 8 a.m. CDT deadline. 
  • One more way for U.S.-based team members to win a prize: On October 29, we will randomly draw a name from everyone who completed/submitted a quiz or quizzes throughout the four quiz challenges. Each quiz counts as one entry in the October 29 drawing. 

Ready to crush the CSAM challenge for Week 1? 

Once you launch the quiz, the timer begins. Select the best answer to each question. The quiz will close at the end of 8 minutes, whether you finished or not, and you cannot relaunch it. So, don’t launch the quiz until you are ready to commit the full 8 minutes to completing it. 

Cybersecurity Awareness Weekly Challenge 1

This month, our Information Security Team will host two one-hour forums to discuss all things cybersecurity. The dates and times: 

• Tuesday, October 7, 10-11 a.m. CDT
• Tuesday, October 14, 8-9 a.m. CDT

Want to join us?  

Please go to this form and choose the time(s) that best suits your schedule. 

• Sign up to attend both dates if you’d like. 
• You can also use the form to ask the Information Security team a question ahead of time. 
• Once you submit the form, you will receive an Outlook invitation within 24 hours with the link to the Teams meeting that you chose.
• If you have questions about the Cybersecurity Awareness Live Forums, please email the organizer, Teresa Farish, IT Communications and Strategic Support.  

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are Back in October, and Cybercriminals Will Be Ready

Amazon’s annual shopping event, Prime Days, takes place every July. This event is nothing short of “huge.” On Prime Day 2022, for instance, over 300 million items were purchased worldwide by the time it was over. 

For an event this big, you can be sure cybercriminals take notice. Earlier this year, the online retail giant disclosed a troubling statistic: Customers had reported an 80% increase in impersonation scams (described in more detail below) in 2024 versus 2023. 

Next week is the return of Amazon’s second-largest annual shopping event: Prime Big Deal Days. 

If you’re an Amazon shopper, here are some things you should look out for:

• Impersonation: These scams come in text messages, emails, or phone calls where the attacker will impersonate an Amazon employee claiming there are issues with Amazon accounts, orders, payments, or phony job opportunities.

• Impersonation: These scams come in text messages, emails, or phone calls where the attacker will impersonate an Amazon employee claiming there are issues with Amazon accounts, orders, payments, or phony job opportunities.

Good news! Scams can be mitigated by being aware of these steps:

• Protect your Amazon account by enabling two-step verification (2SV) and using a strong password. To enable 2SV, go to your Amazon account settings and follow the on-screen instructions. 

• Double check that you are shopping on secure websites and always steer clear of links in suspicious emails or text messages. 
• Monitor your bank statements regularly.
• Proceed with caution if a message sounds too urgent or too good to be true!

Sources:

About Amazon blog. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/prime-day-2022-was-the-biggest-prime-day-event-ever

Dhaliwal, J. (2025). How to shop safely during Amazon Prime Day. https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/internet-security/how-to-shop-safely-during-amazon-prime-day/   

Winder, D. (2025). Amazon Prime Day is coming - how to protect yourself from scammers. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/06/21/amazon-issues-security-warning-as-prime-account-hacks-mount/ 

Thank you for joining us for Cybersecurity Awareness Month! And, as always, thank you for your commitment to keeping Barry-Wehmiller’s data and your personal information safe.