Focus: three things people can do to improve their cybersecurity: stronger passwords, install antivirus and check links
Videos riff on classic public information films
27 June 2023
Today Gresham College and Gresham IT Professor Victoria Baines are releasing a series of three cyber security videos to encourage people to improve their cyber security.
This is the 426-year old higher education institution’s first foray into public information films, but Professor Baines is its second Cybersecurity specialist.
"During the COVID pandemic, we asked members of the public to protect themselves and their communities. Millions of people around the world wore masks, washed their hands, socially distanced, and were vaccinated. Yet when we communicate with the public about digital viruses - cybercrime - we make people feel that there is nothing they can do except buy some security software and be very afraid,” Professor Victoria Baines said.
“Based on my research, we decided to do things differently. There is no evidence that terrifying people makes them any safer! But we do know that communicating clearly what people can do to help has a positive impact on public health, and that humour is an effective way to engage. We looked to classic public information films like “Coughs and Sneezes” (1946) for inspiration and focused on just three things people can do to protect themselves and others from cybercrime. While we hope everyone will enjoy our Cyber Shorts, we think they will resonate particularly with people who haven’t grown up with IT and who may benefit from a gentler introduction to cybersecurity.”
Baines’ Gresham videos advise making unique, strong passwords; installing anti-virus software, and not clicking on dodgy links.
You can watch the videos here (and embed them in your own webpage if you like!).
1) Password video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzHhKBARvo0
2) Antivirus video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMmDcfUF6g8
3) Links video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbhE2h0QHRA
ENDS
Please do get in touch with Lucia Graves at Gresham for more information, or to speak to Professor Victoria Baines.
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