We all know cybersecurity is ridiculously important when it comes to reliably securing our information in digital environments, but most of us tend to very superficially consider the topic (and usually do only if we’re required to). “Change my password? Well… If it isn’t mandatory, why bother?” Organizations, companies, and agencies take a lead in actively enforcing good “cyber hygiene” on their employees by sending out reminder emails that they will no longer have access to their work profiles if they don’t comply and update their password in a certain amount of time—something I’m sure we’ve all experienced at some point.

But… can we all honestly say we implement the same regularly occurring protective strategies in our personal lives? Think about it, when was the last time you voluntarily changed your personal email password purely for security? And doing so only because Google told you your password had recently been in an information leak doesn’t count!

If you already utilize a password manager or service to help mitigate this seemingly daunting process, kudos to you! You are part of the 34% of the American population that does so, based on an article by Cybernews published earlier this year. A third of the population is a solid chunk… But cyber experts wish that number was WAY higher.

In addition, if multi-factor authentication (MFA) is merely a security option on an app or service we use, many of us consider it “inconvenient”, while cyber specialists unanimously think it should be required across the board. There is a significant disconnect between the two groups that share these opposite perspectives, and Cybersecurity Awareness Month is all about informing the public about the ways we are at risk if we don’t incorporate some of these secure methods into our lives outside of work.

This month, I was excited to attend multiple cyber-related events and learn a little more from each one about what it really means to have good cyber hygiene. It isn’t just about changing passwords; it’s about being aware of phishing attempts, financial scams, owning antivirus software, and even knowing the threats that come with connecting to those extremely convenient but unsecured WiFi networks we find sprinkled in public locations.

Cyber hygiene is about staying informed on the emerging digital threats that are becoming more sophisticated every day. Every time we hear about a new and impressive capability that has developed surrounding technology—such as rapid improvements in artificial intelligence—doubles as a new opportunity for bad actors to take advantage of and weasel their way into our data systems, potentially threatening the very infrastructure of the country and the safety of every American’s personal information.