October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

It’s October, and time again for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to bring extra attention to the issue of security. This year there is a focus on the personal and professional interactions that intersect in the virtual space. The more these two worlds become connected, the more likely the possibility of a hacker gaining access to one or both worlds, using access they acquired from one or the other.

The stated goal of the 15th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month event (NCSAM) is to increase awareness about cybersecurity, among consumers, students, educators/academia, and business. Part of this goal is to help individuals and companies better understand how the Internet affects them and develop solutions to take more ownership of their online experiences.

Finally, the NCSAM 2018 event will focus on the nation’s need to develop a cyber-aware society, in particular, a savvy workforce to support families, communities, businesses and the country’s digital infrastructure. This push towards cyber as a career is part of a concerted effort to protect and inform society from cyberattacks. The schedule of the four-week workshop is split into the following format:

• Week 1: Oct. 1­–5: Make Your Home a Haven for Online Safety
• Week 2: Oct. 8–12: Millions of Rewarding Jobs: Educating for a Career in Cybersecurity
• Week 3: Oct. 15–19: It’s Everyone’s Job to Ensure Online Safety at Work
• Week 4: Oct. 22–26: Safeguarding the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure

While each theme provides a robust individual statement about the current state of cyber, it is when taken in its entirety that the real value of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month takes hold. The overarching theme of shared responsibility when it comes to cybersecurity is the core of the message NCSAM is trying to convey at this year’s conference.

Shared responsibility means that it shouldn't be incumbent on one sector of society to be responsible for protecting our online environment. Protecting this environment is a task we all need to be a part of, including end-users becoming more aware of the websites they visit and the emails they open. Professionals, on the other hand, need to stop relying solely on the IT department to protect them from themselves. We all have to not only take ownership of our Internet security but assist others as well.

With its Stop. Think. Connect.™ campaign, NCSAM is promoting the idea that cybersecurity can only be effective when everyone understands they must play their role in improving cybersecurity. In our ‘always connected’ society, it is more important than ever we develop the skills necessary to not only protect our homes but our places of business as well.

As an IT service provider, we are always looking to stress the importance of IT security - not just to our clients, but to the community as a whole. Please take a few seconds to share this blog and help us make everyone a bit more #CyberAware. Would you like to step up your cyber security efforts? Call the IT professionals at Directive at 607.433.2200.