CybersecurityNational Cyber Security Awareness Month starts 1 October

With just one week until the kickoff of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) encourages everyone to get involved this October. The month’s theme is “Our Shared Responsibility,” which calls on everyone who uses the Internet to take steps to make it safer for all. This process begins with taking three simple steps before going online — STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

This year marks the 10th National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), which is coordinated and led each year by NCSA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The official kickoff will take place on 1 October in Boston, Massacusetts, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston with industry leaders and officials from federal, state, and local governments as they commemorate ten years of cybersecurity awareness in U.S. communities, and discuss ways we can make the Internet safer and more secure in the decade to come. See here for more details. The event will also be broadcast via Facebook Live beginning at 1 p.m.

The digital world has evolved in many ways since the first NCSAM in 2004, a time before smartphones and social networks.  The rapid pace of technological advances isn’t expected to slow down. Thus, while NCSAM has achieved international reach with millions of participants each year, more work lies ahead.

“There is no endgame in cybersecurity,” said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the NCSA.

“Our challenge in the coming decade will be to continue growing the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign and other online safety efforts until every Internet user has the information they need to stay safer and more secure online.”

Founded in 2010, STOP. THINK. CONNECT. is a national cybersecurity education and awareness campaign with nearly 100 participating companies, organizations, and government entities. STOP. THINK. CONNECT. has also gone global through partnerships with Canada, Panama, Paraguay, the Organization of American States and other international groups. Materials are available in five different languages along with more information about the campaign at STOP.THINK.CONNECT.

“The rapid global expansion of the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign demonstrates continuing validation of the resonance of the message and interest in partnerships to keep the Internet safer, more secure and trusted,” said Peter Cassidy, secretary general of the Anti-Phishing Working Group — a co-lead of the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign.

STOP. THINK. CONNECT. will be the core message across NCSAM in October. In 2013, NCSA says it expects an increased activity from government, companies, and nonprofits as they reach out to customers and core constituencies and educate them to stay safe online.

Also in conjunction with Boston kickoff of NCSAM, McKenna Long & Aldrige LLP will broadcast the event in Washington, D.C. and hold a conversation about cybersecurity with industry leaders and government officials. See here for more details and to register.

Additional event information and resources are available at the newly launched NCSAM Web Portal. NCSAM supporters can get the latest news and updates on Facebook and on Twitter at @StaySafeOnline. The official Twitter hashtag of NCSAM is #ncsam.