The month of October is more than just the gateway into our winter months. It is also National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! NCSAM, for short, is held every October. It’s a collaborative effort between government, academia, and industry to ensure all Americans have the resources they need to stay safe and secure online.
This year’s theme is “Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.” Everyone plays a role in online safety and should take proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity at home and in the workplace.
To get the word out in your city, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I know what you’re thinking: it’s just “one more thing.” But with little effort, your city can get results. All of us want to avoid that “one wrong click” that erases days of hard work. In this post I am going to share some of my favorite go-to resources that I use to celebrate the “holiday” with my colleagues at the League of Minnesota Cities.
1. Safety starts at home
I like to take the approach that cybersecurity isn’t just about being safe at work. We all have lives outside the workplace and, truth be told, being safe online is something to practice everywhere. I like to provide tips that apply to family as well as work. For example, the Center for Internet Security sponsors a calendar contest where kids can submit their artwork about cybersecurity. By posting the calendar, you will trigger conversation and create awareness every month of the year. Plus, it’s a useful calendar! It’s helpful to see what a K-12 child thinks is scary on the internet and it’s a good conversation starter in your family as well as workplace — print out a couple months and give it a try! Here’s the 2019 calendar: https://www.cisecurity.org/white-papers/2019-cybersecurity-calendar/.2. Safety in sight
We have two elevators at the League. This is where I have a captive audience for at least 30 seconds. Where do you have a captive audience for a few seconds? Perhaps a waiting area or popular entrance? There are some great posters that can be printed and used as a reminder for being safe and secure online. This year I found so many I couldn’t decide — I’ll be rotating posters in our elevators throughout the month of October. The Department of Homeland Security created a toolkit that includes a great selection of posters: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2019.3. Safety for the win
Need other ideas? How about cyber trivia? I've got you covered. Here is a seven-question quiz from the National Institute of Standards and Technology: https://www.nist.gov/quiz/are-you-safe-online.Happy NCSAM and let’s stay safe out there!
Mel Reeder can be reached at mreeder@lmc.org.
