Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is International Cyber Security Awareness Month. The University of Ottawa participates annually in this themed month to protect our community against cyber threats through awareness and new skills.

Gary Ghost Launching Cyber Security Campaign 2026 as mascot

Welcome to the Digital Self-Defence Toolkit —a month-long series of practical info and steps for staying safe online. Each week, we’ll highlight a different tool, resource, or habit you can add to your personal cybersecurity toolkit. 

Cyber risks are evolving. By adding one new practice each week, you’ll strengthen your own digital habits and help secure our community and our campus.

Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. For each week throughout October, we will share practical information and resources on our uOttawa TI Instagram account and this webpage. Our Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) will also share his unique point of view on his LinkedIn account.

Follow along to stay cybersafe!  

Welcome to the Digital Self-Defence Toolkit 

podcast Gary cyber security week mascot
Toolkit: week 1

Podcasts to understand modern cybersecurity threats

Think you know how a scam works? Think again! Press play, start listening, and start building your digital toolkit today.
Symbol for email phishing
Toolkit: Week 2

Can you spot the signs of modern phishing? 

Today’s email scams are more professional and harder to spot. Spotting a scam is no longer about looking for typos or bad grammar. It requires a mind…
MFA Gary cyber security mascot
Toolkit: Week 3

Multi-factor authentication: More layers of security = more protection

Imagine your online accounts as a house with your most valuable possessions inside. Having a secure and strong password is like a single lock on the d…
Social engineering Gary cyber security mascot
Toolkit: Week 4

Social engineering: Fewer logins, fewer risks, fewer worries.

Every digital action leaves a trace: a social media post, a login, a data point, a download. Together, these traces form your attack surface, every po…
Passwords Gary cyber security mascot
Toolkit: Week 5

Meet ‘PhoneChicCool’ and why it’s time to learn more…

Create a new password habit to simplify security. Your passwords protect everything that matters. Let a password manager protect them.

Put it into practice.

Cyber Security Ontario Poster

Want to strengthen your knowledge in cyber security even further?

Participate in Halt the Hack! campaign through October: take part in spy-themed virtual interactive games and videos in the Cyber Verse to earn tokens that will give you the chance to win exciting recognition rewards.