The History of Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a month to be reminded of how crucial online security is to our businesses and our everyday lives. Cybersecurity awareness month is all about educating and informing people of the newest trends in the cyber world including what the years biggest threats are, how to combat them, and what the consequences could be if you don't.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month was established all the way back in 2004 by the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency (CISA) and the national cyber security alliance (NCSA). These two agencies sought to set aside a time of the year where individuals and businesses could learn more about security and how to better defend themselves from bad actors.

For each week of the month a certain theme is chosen. These themes represent a certain concept relevant to cyber security. These themes usually encompassing anything from social engineering, phishing, ransomware and any other major threats that are on the rise. The central message of cybersecurity awareness month has always been about how everybody has a part to play in securing our networks. From 2009-2018 the central message of this month was "Our share responsibility" highlighting how everyone is responsible for securing our world. In 2021, the message changed a bit in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to "Do you part, be cybersmart".

See Yourself In Cyber

This years central message is to "See yourself in cyber". It demonstrates that while cybersecurity may seem like a complex subject, ultimately, it’s really all about people. This October will focus on the “people” part of cybersecurity, providing information and resources to help educate CISA partners and the public, and ensure all individuals and organizations make smart decisions whether on the job, at home or at school – now and in the future. We encourage each of you to engage in this year’s efforts by creating your own cyber awareness campaigns and sharing this messaging with your peers.

As you celebrate cybersecurity awareness month here are some things to consider:

• Use complex and unique passwords: You password is your first line of defense against cyber attacks, don't let it get out!
• Implement MFA: Multi-factor authentication is integral to securing all of your business applications and accounts you use to do you job.
• Be wary of links: If you receive and shady email asking you to click on a link you don't trust, don't do it! Social engineering is one of the easiest ways hackers can break into your organization.

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CorpInfoTech (Corporate Information Technologies) provides small to mid-market organizations with expert I.T. services including compliance assessment, cybersecurity penetration tests, and comprehensive business continuity planning services. CorpInfoTech can help organizations, quantify, create, refine, and mitigate the risks presented by business threatening disasters in whatever form they may be disguised.