October has been declared National Cyber Security Awareness Month by President Obama. National Cyber Security Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners to raise awareness about cyber security through events and initiatives and increase the nation’s resiliency in the event of a cyber attack.
During National Cyber Security Awareness Month, individuals are encouraged to enrich their understanding of cyber security to better protect themselves on a personal and professional level. To encourage continued education in cyber security, each week of National Cyber Security Awareness Month has a specific focus.
Week 1 – General Cybersecurity Awareness
This week marks the 5th Anniversary of the Stop.Think.Connect Campaign, which aims to empower all Americans to be safer online. The campaign seeks to raise awareness around the risks of being online and encourage Americans to investigate strategies for staying safe online.
Week 2 – Creating a Culture of Cybersecurity at Work
With a modernizing workspace, employees and businesses face growing cybersecurity threats. This week’s focus is to encourage companies and employees to focus on online safety at work.
Week 3 – Connected Communities: Staying Protected While Always Connected
With constant connectivity comes an increased risk of cyberattacks. This week focuses on methods of protecting yourself online as daily reliance on connectivity continues to increase.
Week 4 – Our Evolving Digital Lives
Individual digital footprints are expanding while our methods of interacting with a digital space continue to evolve. This week focuses on keeping yourself safe as individuals become enmeshed in a constantly changing digital landscape.
Week 5 – Building the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals
As more work moves into the digital space and as the workforce continues to modernize, the need for cyber professionals continues to grow. This week focuses on cybersecurity education and awareness at all levels of schooling, education, and employment.
Get Involved
Stay up to date and interact with the Twitter series every Thursday in October at 3 p.m. EST using #ChatSTC. You can post news, tips, and event info about National Cyber Security Awareness month on all social media platforms, and remember to use the hashtag #CyberAware to raise awareness.
Everyday Tips & Resources
Passwords: Make them strong and diverse, and don’t share them with anyone. Remember to change your passwords regularly.
Hardware & Software: Stay on top of updates, especially for critical software.
Communicate: Talk with your friends & family about what they are doing to stay safe online. Help everyone stay aware and up to date on Cyber Security.
Personal Info: Be mindful of what you share online and remember to take advantage of privacy settings.
See http://www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month for more detailed information about Cyber Security Awareness Month and check out your local community offerings.
