October is National Cyber Security Awareness month

Posted on: October 1, 2013 | By: Christina Bonds | Filed under: Data & Identity, Info Security

ncsam10_button1Ten years ago, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) launched National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in an effort to help all Americans to stay safer and more secure while online.  Since then, NCSAM has grown in participation including the general public, businesses, colleges, universities, and other groups.

This month’s appropriate theme is ‘Our Shared Responsibility’.  All of us have a part in making cyberspace safe and secure.  Think about how often we are online.  What percentage of your day are you ‘connected’?  The Internet is a shared resource and so the responsibility of keeping it secure must be shared as well.  This month and beyond, let’s focus our attention to cyber security and do our part.

Why is cyber security awareness important?

All devices that connect to the Internet are vulnerable to attacks.  Learning about cyber security issues can help you feel more secure when online because you will know what to look for to better protect yourself and your devices.  Personal identity can be lost in seconds.  Becoming aware of the latest tactics criminals are using can better protect your identity.

How can you get involved?

All of this month you can get daily safety reminders and tips on social media which can be shared with your family and friends.  You can like Elon Technology on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.  You can also visit staysafeonline.org for more resources.

Want to know more?  Read the blog post from Michael Kaiser, Executive Director, National Cyber Security Alliance which talks more about NCSAM.

Next week’s NCSAM topic:  Being Mobile: Online Safety & Security

Christina Bonds

Christina Bonds, CISSP, is an Application Developer at Elon University

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