Choctaw Nation cybersecurity is a top priority

Long ago, Choctaw Warriors faced their enemies and could repel them with their might and knowledge of fighting techniques to keep the Tribe safe. Today, our Choctaw Warriors use their minds to repel enemies of the Nation with computer security and protection of sensitive tribal member data through a process called cybersecurity.

The Choctaw Nation’s cybersecurity team is always on guard for would-be intruders trying to hack their way into our systems and gain access to our Nation’s sensitive data. Thanks to our outstanding Information Technology team’s great planning, training, and focus, so far, the cyber intruders have not been successful, but it does give me something to think about as I read about the latest phishing efforts and data breaches that have negatively impacted other organizations and individuals across the globe. What can we do to help shield ourselves from cyber intruders?

The need for cybersecurity in the digital world is a necessity. The volume and sophistication of cyberattacks constantly grows. As technology dependence increases, so does our vulnerability. Cybersecurity helps to protect our data and systems from these threats.

The Choctaw Nation Cybersecurity team has a few tips to consider when you are navigating your emails and the Internet:

• The IRS will not email you and ask for personal information.
• Sweepstakes are nearly always a scam.
• If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
• Microsoft will not have you call them with updates to your computer.
• Never click on an anti-virus download link that arrives in your email.

The U.S. government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers more suggestions to secure your personal information on your computer:

• Use strong passwords.
• Update your software.
• Think before you click on suspicious links.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication.

These cybersecurity basics apply to both individuals and organizations. For both government and private entities, developing and implementing tailored cybersecurity plans is key.

The Choctaw Nation takes the privacy of its tribal members very seriously and we will continue to upgrade our systems with the latest security technology. The care in keeping our tribal members data safe and secure is at the very foundation of what the Choctaw Nation stands for. We will remain tireless in our efforts to keep the Choctaw Nation’s data safe from cyber-attacks.

For more information on what you can do to combat cyber thieves or to participate in online activities during Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, go to cisa.gov to find out how to protect your personal information from cyber-attacks.

Yakoke and God Bless!