For about 15 years, the month of October has been designated Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The initiative began as a concept to help all Americans stay safe online. When it began, this meant updating your antivirus software twice per year. Oh how cybersecurity has changed since then! The amount of personal information that is housed on information systems these days is practically unfathomable. We’ve heard so much about security breaches and the disclosure of personal information, that the numbers almost have no meaning anymore. Many individuals accept the fact that their personal information has probably been compromised “somehow.”
We are all concerned about the security of our personal information, but this month emphasizes the entire cyber environment from cyber safety for children to cybersecurity for small businesses. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) campaign, “Stop. Think. Connect.” is a national public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the American public to be safer and more secure online. Their toolkit webpage contains numerous resources that every family can use to be safer while online. These resources can be found at: https://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect-toolkit.
Cybersecurity safety is everyone’s responsibility, at home, in the workplace, and in our communities.