WASHINGTON, Oct. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 19th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month kicks off today. Led by the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA), and held in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Cybersecurity Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public and private-sector partners with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity.
“Cyber attacks have increased significantly over the last few years affecting consumers and businesses alike,” says Lisa Plaggemier, Executive Director, NCA. “In order to evolve with the threat, there needs to be a renewed emphasis on cybersecurity training and education in addition to a cultural shift from the private and public-sector that embeds best cybersafe practices into our daily lives.”
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Content
Throughout October, NCA will focus on the following areas in promotions and outreach:
- Enabling multi-factor authentication
- Using strong passwords and a password manager
- Updating software
- Recognizing and reporting phishing
“Over the years, we’ve seen many watershed moments for the cybersecurity industry, and this has never rang more true than in recent years, as we navigated unprecedented times,” said Kate Charlet, Google's head of Global Privacy and Cybersecurity within the Centers of Excellence, GAPP team. “These moments made it clear it’s more important than ever to focus on the fundamentals and make security easy for the average user. We need to do that by encouraging security education, building easy to use protections, and continuing to draw attention to cyber issues on a global scale with moments like Cybersecurity Awareness Month.”
Cybersecuring America: A United Mission
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, elected officials, government leaders and industry executives will come together to discuss our united mission to cyber secure America. Cybersecurity Awareness Month events are supported by sponsors including Dell Technologies, Google, NortonLifeLock, Amazon, KnowBe4, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Malwarebytes, Microsoft and Cyware.
“When most people think about cybersecurity they don’t know where to start,” said Jenny Brinkley, Director, Amazon Security. “That’s why Cybersecurity Awareness Month is so important to help consumers learn about and prioritize simple steps to protect themselves and their loved ones online.”
This year's Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme -- See Yourself In Cyber -- reiterates the increasingly understood truth that cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility.
“It is up to all of us to do our part to better protect our organizations and broader communities from cyber threats,” says Perry Carpenter, Chief Evangelist and Strategy Officer, KnowBe4. “Human behavior and motivations are the fundamental building blocks to creating a strong security awareness program and Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to recognize and celebrate that.”
Becoming a Champion
By signing up to become a Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion, organizations and individuals alike can become a part of October’s campaign to help promote a safer, more secure, and more trusted connected world. Upon registration, all Champions receive a toolkit of material to help them implement cybersecurity awareness initiatives and activities during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Becoming a Champion is easy and doesn’t require any financial contribution. To learn more and sign up, please visit https://staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/champions/.
Join the Conversation
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, NCA, CISA and key partners will share resources and engage on social media to drive increased visibility around the month’s key messages and themes to keep consumers and organizations informed about cybersecurity best practices.
Connect with NCA on social media and learn the latest Cybersecurity Awareness Month news by following and using the hashtags #BeCyberSmart and #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth.
For more information on Cybersecurity Awareness Month please visit https://staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/.
To learn more about ways you can become an online safety volunteer for this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, please visit https://staysafeonline.org/programs/cybersecurity-awareness-month/teach-others-how-to-stay-safe-online
To learn more about Oh Behave! The Annual Cybersecurity Attitudes and Behaviors Report 2022, please visit https://staysafeonline.org/online-safety-privacy-basics/oh-behave/
About Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public- and private-sector partners through events and initiatives with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity to increase the resiliency of the Nation in the event of a cyber incident. Since the Presidential proclamation establishing Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2004, the initiative has been formally recognized by Congress, federal, state and local governments and leaders from industry and academia. This united effort is necessary to maintain a cyberspace that is safer and more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/
About National Cybersecurity Alliance
The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a non-profit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world. We advocate for the safe use of all technology and educate everyone on how best to protect ourselves, our families, and our organizations from cybercrime. We create strong partnerships between governments and corporations to amplify our message and to foster a greater “digital” good. Our core efforts include Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October); Data Privacy Week (January); and the HBCU Career Program. For more information, please visit https://staysafeonline.org.
Contact info:
Adam Brett
516.320.0164
adam@crenshawcomm.com
