How Did You Celebrate National Cyber Security Awareness Month?

October is perhaps most commonly known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but did you know that it also has another distinction? It’s true. October is also National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) and this year marked the 11^th anniversary of this important month-long recognition of Internet security.

If this is the first you have heard about National Cyber Security Awareness Month, then here is everything you need to know about it.

Why Was National Cyber Security Awareness Month Created?

NCSAM was created as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance in an effort to help ensure every American has the education and resources they need to stay safe and secure online.

As the world becomes more reliant on the Internet and computer networks, cyber security remains one of our most pressing matters. This is especially the case when so much of our sensitive information is recorded online. From medical records to financial statements to corporate and government infrastructures and more, the state of Internet security is something that affects us all. As a result, Internet security is a shared responsibility; hence the theme for this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month – Our Shared Responsibility.

NCSAM Weekly Themes

To help make awareness more accessible through the month, NCSAM is broken down into four weeks, each featuring a specific theme. This year’s weekly themes included:

Week 1 – Theme: STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

The first week of the month concentrated on reinforcing one’s personal online security. This is enforced by taking a STOP. THINK. CONNECT. approach before getting online. This involves stopping for a moment, thinking about the site you are going to be connecting to, and then connecting to the site once you have determined that it is safe to do so.

Week 2 – Theme: Secure Development of IT Products 

Week two focused on the ways security can be built into technology products to help improve cyber security from a software standpoint. This is especially the case in the products that we use on a daily basis, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Week 3 – Theme:  Critical Infrastructure and The Internet of Things 

The third week focused on the importance of protecting our country’s technology infrastructure by properly securing all devices and systems that are connected to the Internet.  As the country’s systems become increasingly interconnected via the Internet, implementing stronger security measures is essential for maintaining our electrical grids, financial services, transportation, and communications.

Week 4 – Theme: Cybersecurity for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses and Entrepreneurs 

The month’s fourth week was designed to target the country’s small and medium-sized businesses as they are increasingly becoming targets for cyber-attacks. As a result, having a strong security strategy is crucial in protecting one’s company. This week introduced entrepreneurs to the security tactics they should be addressing and implementing as well as identifying cybersecurity as a business opportunity using tools such as the DHS C3 Voluntary Program.

Week 5 – Theme:  Cybercrime and Law Enforcement

The final week of the month featured resources for raising the country’s awareness to cybercrime, such as educating consumers in ways to protect themselves against identity theft, fraud, phishing, and other types of online crimes. In addition, this week also provided information to help educate law enforcement officers about how they can assist their communities in the ongoing fight against cybercrime.

Liquid Technology’s Data Destruction Services Can Help Improve Your Data Security

One of the most common myths about computers is that they don’t contain anything worth stealing. But, when you really think about it, computers warehouse an incredible amount of data that hackers and data thieves can use to their benefit. From important email addresses to bank log-in information to actual credit card numbers and other financial data, your computer keeps track of everything you have ever input into it. Worse yet, all it takes is one simple piece of information for data thieves to gain entry to virtually every aspect of your life.

For companies and organizations, the risk of a data breach is all too real and when they occur, they can have expensive legal consequences. The only way you can ensure that your data is unrecoverable is to have the data wiped using DOD-compliant data wiping software. Liquid Technology has the technological resources and experience to protect your company’s data. We offer best-in-class data destruction services that can help form the backbone of an intensive data and cyber security strategy.

Call us today at 800-797-5478 to learn how our data destruction services can play an important role in your company’s security.