October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. During this annual event, government and industry leaders come together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
This year’s theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.”
This theme was selected to empower both individuals and organizations to take ownership of their unique role in promoting cybersecurity, with the key message being, “If you connect it, protect it.”
It’s crucial for businesses and individuals to stay cyber–secure in order to safeguard company data, protect customers‘ personal information, ensure employee privacy, and keep their personal data safe. Here‘s how you can do your part to foster organizational and personal cybersecurity:
- Establish policies to promote cybersecurity. This includes a bring your own device policy, email and internet communication policy, acceptable use policy, remote work policy and incident response policy.
- Educate yourself. Protect your digital home, create strong passwords, and learn how to be safe on social media. If you’re a leader, lead by example and help change the culture within your organization.
- Educate your employees. Utilize a training program to make employees aware of cybersecurity threats and how to stay cyber secure at work.
- Implement smart software. Install strong spam filters, firewalls, and antivirus and malware programs on all company devices. In addition, maintain network security by using a virtual private network.
- Enforce access controls. Only allow trusted and qualified individuals access to sensitive data. Further, ensure all employees use strong passwords and update them on a routine basis. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication.
- Bolster business continuity. Be sure to back up data frequently. Consider storing copies of critical data in additional secure locations, such as the cloud.
- Have a plan. Establish a cyber incident response plan to minimize potential losses in the event of a cyber attack. Test this plan regularly.
For more resources on how to #BeCyberSmart, visit CISA.
