October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Being online shouldn't be frightening as long as you take precautions to protect your personal information.

• Many scams target older Americans, such as a fraudulent call where the caller ID appears to be from the Social Security Administration. Never give any part of your Social Security number (bank account or credit card number) to anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Read more about this scam on the Social Security Matters blog.
• The Department of Homeland Security's Stop.Think.Connect. campaign has free tips and resources. Sign up to receive their monthly newsletter by visiting dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect.
• The Federal Trade Commission has an Identity Theft website where you can report identity theft and read about different scams. Visit identitytheft.gov/ for prevention tips and free resources to share in your community.
• The National Cyber Security Alliance's StaySafeOnline.org has tech tips to keep your devices secure while traveling.