Although cybersecurity awareness is important all year, this is a very special month for the field of cybersecurity. In October, we celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an international initiative that raises awareness of how people and organizations can be safer and more secure online. The theme is Secure Our World, which is part of a campaign launched in 2023 that highlights simple ways to protect individuals, families, and businesses from cyber threats.
CISA is the federal lead for the campaign and works with the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) (@staysafeonline) to create resources that highlight these simple cybersecurity tips:
- Recognize and Report Phishing: Keep your accounts secure by recognizing the common signs of phishing, resisting the temptation to click links or attachments, and deleting phishing messages.
- Use Strong Passwords: Make your passwords long, random, and unique; make sure to pick a password that includes all three of these characteristics!
- Turn ON Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Protect all your accounts by enabling MFA on email, social media, financial accounts, and any online accounts that offer it.
- Update Software: Ensure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices and regularly check for updates if automatic updates are not available.
Spend time this October learning more about these tips and the Secure our World campaign by visiting CISA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month page, downloading the toolkit, and checking out tip cards, guides, templates, puzzles, posters, and more. You can also find more resources and watch the Secure our World video series, all found on the Secure Our World page. Don’t forget to visit the NCA Cybersecurity Awareness Month page, where you can find other ways to get involved, including becoming a 2024 Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion.
Celebrate with NICCS
You can also use the resources and tools on NICCS to raise your cybersecurity awareness, knowledge, and understanding in October and year-round. Here are a few ways to celebrate on NICCS:
- Take a cybersecurity training course listed on the Education & Training Catalog.
- Investigate different types of cybersecurity work by using the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework).
- Learn about cybersecurity career paths in the Cyber Career Pathways Tool.
- Increase your understanding of available federal cyber careers by exploring the Interactive Cybersecurity Career Map.
Check back throughout the month of October for more ways to celebrate and be sure to share what you learn with family, friends, and colleagues. We will be using the #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth hashtag to promote cybersecurity awareness on our social media platforms, and you can follow all the updates on these pages:
- Twitter: @CISAgov, @CISACyber, @CISAJen
- Facebook: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- LinkedIn: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- Instagram: @CISAgov
If you have any questions, please email us NICCS@hq.dhs.gov or AwarenessCampaigns@cisa.dhs.gov for more information.