(solemn music) - Cyber risks are some of the biggest problems we face as a nation, and of course also as just ordinary citizens going about our daily lives.

It's a huge risk and it's becoming more and more problematic all the time as we get more and more dependent on various computing technologies, and networking technologies to do our daily lives.

- [Narrator] Doug Schmidt is a Professor of Computer Science at Vanderbilt University.

While he and his colleagues are focused on training a new generation of technology professionals, he also has some advice aimed at keeping the average citizens safe online, free of charge.

- So if you're using your... A computer, if you're using Windows, or Mac OS, these typically come with virus software, virus scanning software built in.

So make sure that it's turned on.

There are ways to disable it, but it's not a bad idea to turn on, it comes bundled and that'll give you a modest level of security.

Make sure you also keep it up to date by making sure that your operating system patches are installed on a regular basis.

- [Narrator] While installing antivirus software and keeping your operating system up to date are two very basic safeguards, it's not nearly enough.

- For goodness sakes make sure your home network has a password that's not something obvious like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or guest, or whatever the default is.

So that would be another thing you can do that doesn't cost any money.

Something else you might wanna do if you wanna be a little bit more careful about certain kinds of identity theft scams is put out freeze on your credit, such that people can't open credit cards, or take out loans in your name.

The most effective way to try to protect yourself that doesn't cost anything at all is just to be absolutely suspicious of everything that comes your way from the internet.

- [Narrator] That's especially true now that many of our social interactions take place online.

- There's a big problem nowadays with social media where you'll get requests on your Facebook messages from your friends who say, "Oh gosh I'm having some hard times, can you send me some money?"

Or," My car broke down, can you send me some money?"

Those are almost inevitably gonna be scams.

So it's very sad that the people you think are your friends are actually turning out to not be your friends.

But once again, being very cautious and basically the way we like to say it is the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

So the price of security in cybersecurity is eternal vigilance and eternal distrust of almost everything unless you can really verify that it's actually true.

- [Narrator] Made possible by a grant from the West End Home Foundation Senior Trust Digital Initiative.