To our dedicated readers of Crossroads, it's the most wonderful time of the year: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! The Department of Homeland Security, in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), created National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2001 to help US citizens secure personally identifiable information that is stored on personal computers as well as personal data that is stored out in “the cloud.”
The DHS website notes that "the theme for this National Cyber Security Awareness Month is “Our Shared Responsibility,” which reflects the interconnectedness of the modern world and the message that all computer users have a role in securing cyberspace. Through a series of events and initiatives across the country, Awareness Month engages public and private sector partners to raise awareness and educate Americans about cybersecurity, and increase the resiliency of the Nation and its cyber infrastructure."
"Protect Yourself Before You Connect Yourself"
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month has a new focus each week in October. Week one's theme is to "Stop.Think.Connect" and emphasizes general cybersecurity awareness. Week two's theme is Education/Workforce, and showcases the urgent need to develop cyber educatoin programs. Week three's theme is cyber crime, and it focuses on national and local efforts to prevent identify theft and other cyber crime. Finally, week four is about small business, and highlights strategies that small and medium sized businesses can use to bolster their cyber defenses.
The DHS announcement can be found here.
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