Choctaw Nation Cybersecurity Awareness Month Plans

Nan Aiikhvna Ahinna Ikhana Hvshi Apesa

Published October 11, 2024

Audio in Choctaw Language

The Choctaw Nation (CNO) is more reliant on the Internet than ever before in our history. Just the everyday items that we use the information superhighway for are pretty mind boggling. All CNO departments are reliant on the speed and agility of the Internet to protect tribal member’s personal information, get out crucial information to our tribal members, as well as interdepartmental communications for the everyday operations of our tribe.

How far we have come in the Choctaw Nation from when our ancestors communicated compared to how we speak with the world at the stroke of a key. Unfortunately, that digital connection comes with a price. There are people in the cyberworld who attempt to take advantage of our reliance on the Internet and the digital world. The CNO’s need for a strong cybersecurity plan is of the upmost importance to maintain the security of our tribal records and tribal members’ personal information.

October is recognized as Cybersecurity Month, both nationally and within the Choctaw Nation. Our tribe’s cybersecurity team has come up with a plan to ensure that our tribal members and associates do all that is humanly possible to prevent a cyberattack. For instance, this past Oct. 1 we began the month with a Cybersecurity Awareness kickoff event that highlighted all the ways to keep our associates secure online. This month will also include heightened focus on being cybersecure with webinars, CyberBingo and other added events so that all our CNO associates can identify a cyberattack and keep the tribe’s information secure. The cybersecurity team also sends out random attacks to associates throughout the year to check if cybersecurity protocols are being followed. If an associate, does not follow protocol they will have to take a refresher course in cybersecurity dos and don’ts.

According to the U.S. Government’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), “With increased connectivity comes increased risk.” Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve and pose significant risks to our Nation’s critical infrastructure and sensitive information. By fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness and vigilance, we can collectively mitigate these risks and safeguard our digital assets.

CISA’s cybersecurity awareness program informs us of the following ways to keep our digital records safe from would-be attackers:

Recognize and report phishing
Use strong passwords
Turn on multifactor authentication
Update software — we won’t be as vulnerable to deceptive tactics, and it will be much harder to scam us or steal our information.

It is important to keep yourself safe from cyberattacks in your own home as well. For instance:

If something doesn’t feel right don’t click on it.
Never give your personal information out to anyone who you don’t know.
Shut off your computer at night and restart in the morning.
Always know what you’re clicking on and take time to read what you are clicking on.
Update your computer as needed.
Make your password difficult, but something you can remember.
No matter how official an email looks, you will never get an email from your computer manufacturer asking for personal information.
If it looks suspicious, it probably is fraudulent.

If you just take some time safeguarding your personal information, you should be able to use the Internet risk free. Just remember, knowledge is money to cybercriminals, and they will stop at nothing to gain access to your information. Be vigilant, safe and secure with your information in October during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and during all months throughout the year.

Yakoke and God Bless!

Chahta Okla yvt Vnnoa Hina ya anukcheto kvt tikba chatuk i shahli. Nittak moma nana kia Vnnoa Hina il akanihchi kvt anuklakvshli. Vnnoa Hina i tushpa yvt okla ibafoka ya vnnoa ilap immi atukkuchi ka CNO kashkoa moma kvt anukcheto. Pim okla ibafoka vhleha ya vnnoa na fehna ima cha pim okla i nittak moma yvmohmi ya kashkoa ittimaumpuli ya i hopela.

Pi hattak tikba yvt kanimichit ittimanumpulih chatuk a hopakichit il aivla. Himak vno, isht afinni atebli achvffa ya yakni moma il ittimanumpula hinla. Nan aiikhvna ahvllaia ittvtakvli mvt ivlli ishi. Vnnoa Hina il anukcheto ka nan aiikhvna yakni aiasha okla kanimi kvt isht ilaiyukpvt ishi ilahobbi. Pim okla isht anoli micha okla ibafoka ya vnnoa ilap immi ahinna eshi kvt CNO yvt nan aiikhvna ahinna isht vlhpisa hlampko abvnna.

Chahta Okla anukaka micha oklushi ahvllaia ya Hohchvffo Iskitini Hvshi yvt Nan Aiikhvna Ahinna Hvshi atokoa. Pim okla ibafoka micha ittiba toksvli yvt nan aiikhvna amokvfa alvmmicha hinla ka pim okla i nan aiikhvna ahinna lukoli im isht vlhpisa yvt im ahlichi. Hohchvffo Iskitini Hvshi nittak achvffa kash, Nan Aiikhvna Ahinna Ikhana yvmohmi ya hvshi il isht ia tuk. Pim ittiba toksvli im ittvtakvli yvt kamvssa ka aiyvmohmi fehnvchi. Ittvtakvli ittimanumpuli micha aiyvmohmi inla kvt kamvssa chi ka hvshi ilvppvt nana fehna chahachi aienincha chi. CNO ittiba toksvli vhleha yvt nan aiikhvna amokvfa atokoli cha okla im vnnoa ya kamvssacha hinla. Nan aiikhvna ahinna lukoli yvt amokvfa himak fokali ya ittiba toksvli i pila cha nan aiikhvna ahinna anumpa vlhpisa iakaya hokma pisa. Ittiba toksvli yvt anumpa vlhpisa ik iakayo hokmvt, nan aiikhvna ahinna apehlichi okchvli ishi pulla.

S. Government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency vnnoa achi kvt, “Takalicha hinla i shahli ya ahleka i shahli yvt iba minti.” Nan aiikhvna ahinna miha yvt mahaya cha pim okla im ai isht awechi vlhpesa micha vnnoa ya ahleka na fehna ima. Nan aiikhvna ahinna ikhana anonti apistikeli e hofantichi hosh ahleka pa ittvhobvt e nuktvlali cha pi hvlbina nan aiikhvna ahvllaia il atukkucha hinla.

Pi holisso atukkuchit il esha chi ka CISA i nan aiikhvna ahinna ikhana aiahni yvt aiyvmohmi pim anoli:

Haksichi atokolit anoli.
Anumpa luma hlampko isht vtta.
Ahlichi tuklo i shahli tiwwi.
Aiahni himonvchi – hvpi nvhla he kiyo micha pi haksichi anonti pim vnnoa hukupa

ya i shalihchit kvllocha chi.

Hvchi chukka aiena ka nan aiikhvna amokvfa ile atukkuchi hvsh ishi kvt na fehna. Ohmi kvt:

Nana yvt ik vlhpeso ahoba hokma, hvsh atebli nna.
Nittak nana kvna hvchik ikhano ya vnnoa hvchim ahvllaia hvsh ima nna.
Ninak a hvchi nan aiikhvna hvsh akvmmi tuk osh onnahinlik ma anonti isht ia.
Nana hvsh atebli kvt hvsh ikhana bilia cha nana hochefo hosh hvsh atebla chike.
Hvchi nan aiikhvna yvt abvnnak ma, hvsh himonvcha chike.
Hvchim anumpa luma ya ahchibachi, kia nana hvsh ikhaiyana hinla.
Ittvtakvli anumpa yvt ahli ahoba kia nan aiikhvna ikbi yvt vnnoa hvchim ahvllaiaka ponakla chi kiyo.
Nuktvhla ahoba hokmvt haksi chechik.

Vnnoa hvchi ahvllaia hvsh atukkuchi hokmvt Vnnoa Hina ya ahleka iksho hosh hvsh na kanihcha chi. Nan aiikhvna anumpa kobvffi ya ikhana yvt iskvli ya hvsh ikhaiyana pulla. Hvchim vnnoa ya aiona isha chi kvt nana kia issa chi kiyo. Nan Aiikhvna Ahinna Ikhana Hvshi atuk takla ya ahah ahnit hvchim vnnoa hvsh atukkucha chike!

Yakoke anonti Chihowa hvt hvchi holitoblashke!