CEC 28 member gives cybersecurity tips for families; recommends passwords, updates and phishing caution

Latifa Lewis, CEC 28 recording secretary and a certified cybersecurity professional, offered parents practical steps to protect personal and family information online and to reduce the risk of phishing and account takeover.

"Use strong passwords," she said, recommending longer passphrases and a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols, and noting that passwords should not be reused for sensitive accounts. She urged families to enable multifactor authentication and to keep software and browsers up to date.

Lewis also recommended that parents teach children to "pause and ask" an adult before clicking links and to avoid chatting with strangers. She described multiple forms of phishing (email, voice calls, SMS) and urged callers to verify unexpected requests by contacting the organization via a known phone number rather than following links.

Why it matters: Council members and parents reported receiving targeted fake emails and text messages that appeared to come from trusted local leaders; the recording secretary said those forms of impersonation are common and often successful. She provided a short resource link and encouraged schools and PTAs to promote digital-safety conversations.

Ending Lewis encouraged parents to develop open lines of communication so children will report uncomfortable online experiences and to consider training and parental-controls that evolve as children mature.