October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
The whole month of October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, invented to make businesses, organizations, and people aware of the dangers of digital threats and to incite them to take action to improve their cybersecurity.
When it comes to cybersecurity, small measures can make a big difference. That’s why cybersecurity agencies from all over the world have come up with all kinds of advice and initiatives to help us better protect ourselves from cyber threats.
ENISA, Europe’s agency for cybersecurity, has launched its annual campaign dedicated to promoting cybersecurity among European citizens and organizations. It’s organized together with the European Commission and the participating Member States to promote cybersecurity education throughout the European Union.
For the whole month of October, hundreds of activities take place across Europe, including conferences, workshops, trainings, webinars, presentations, and more, to promote digital security and cyber hygiene.
“Cybersecurity is not just about technology, it is a critical condition for all sectors of society and a shared responsibility. Phishing attacks and other cyber threats can have devastating consequences, disrupting our critical infrastructure and businesses, and undermining our trust in the digital world,” Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, says in a statement.
“By staying vigilant and taking simple steps to protect ourselves online, we can all play our role in fighting against cyber threats while helping to build a safer, more secure digital future for everyone,” she adds.
The Australian Cybersecurity Centre (ACSC) is using this campaign to address several security themes. The agency recommends that businesses take action to boost their organization’s cybersecurity by focusing on three simple steps: installing software updates, using strong and unique passphrases, and setting up multi-factor authentication (MFA).
The upcoming weeks will be all about event logging, how to deal with legacy technology, supply chain and third-party risks, and quantum readiness.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), America’s cybersecurity agency, has announced this year’s theme: Building a Cyber Strong America, highlighting the need to strengthen the country's infrastructure against cyber threats, ensuring resilience and security.
“Cyber threats don’t take time off. As the federal lead for Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the nation’s cyber defense agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, urges all US small and medium businesses and state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to take one action today to improve their cybersecurity,” the agency states.
The Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI), Germany’s cybersecurity agency, and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have published an Operational Technology Business Guide to offer guidelines for designing a safe OT architecture.