As you may have noticed by the new banner we've added on our homepage, October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber Security Division and the National Cyber Security Alliance, the goal of this program is to educate everyday PC users on staying safe online.

Think you are already cyber savvy? If American consumers are to go by, many people may not be quite as protected from online threats as they think.

A poll released on Monday shows that Internet users believe they are protected from online threats, while in reality, their security software is outdated or even disabled. According to the newly released industry survey, 81 percent of those polled had a firewall, but only 64 percent had enabled it; 70 percent said they had anti-spyware software, but only 55 percent had enabled it.

To keep your personal and private information protected, make sure all of your security software is enabled and current! To brush up on your cyber security skills, take a look at www.staysafeonline.org to view the NCSAs "Top 8 Cyber Security Practices" and "Cyber Security Basics."

Stay tuned here for more cyber security news and safety tips this month.