October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month was proposed by the NCSA (National Cyber Security Alliance) and the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in October 2004 as an effort to help Americans stay safe while using communication networks.

This event is now in its seventeenth anniversary. The campaign aims to increase general awareness of cybersecurity, helping both individuals and companies develop a safer environment for themselves and their clients.

This year’s motto is

Do your part. Be #CyberSmart.

and aims to encourage individuals to take a proactive attitude to improve security globally, as phishing attacks continue to be classified as one of the “top ten” challenges that organizations must face.

What events have been planned for this month?

The Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an event celebrated throughout the United States, held by technology companies interested in improving technical knowledge and making it understood that cybersecurity is a fundamental element to take into account when our lives, both personal and professional, are increasingly linked to digital identities.

Each week of the month focuses on a different theme:

• Week 1: If you connect it, protect it. A look at which devices really need protecting and how the Internet of Things (IoT) can have a major impact on your environment.
• Week 2: Securing equipment at home and at work. ‘Home-office’ is in fashion, whether due to the global Covid-19 pandemic or an improvement in work-life balance, working from home is here to stay. This situation poses new challenges for companies as they are forced to ensure that legitimate remote access does not increase the risk of business operations.
• Week 3: Securing medical equipment connected to the Internet. These devices are becoming more and more complex and allow to be used through the Internet. The challenge is how to protect them to avoid misuse while keeping confidentiality intact.
• Week 4: The future of connected equipment. The number of connected devices is growing exponentially. How far will we go and to what extent can it affect the security of your organization?

Although this event takes place on the other side of the pond, we think it is another opportunity to remind you that cybersecurity threats are real, they exist and we must protect ourselves.

Where to start? We recommend you take a look at our website to learn about different protection mechanisms and strategies