It’s hard to believe we’re almost through November and that National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) (October) has come and gone. As we enter the busiest online shopping season of the year, however, I challenge you to reflect on the message of NCSAM – STOP.THINK.CONNECT. – and to help us treat EVERY month as cyber security awareness month.
Did you know it takes 105 clicks to secure a Facebook account? As the largest body of information security experts in the world, our members are working to reverse statistics on attacks on kids related to social networking, cyber bullying, identity theft, online reputation damage and other threats kids and other vulnerable groups face every day. Our member volunteers have educated nearly 70,000 children to date – 7,000 during NCSAM 2011 alone - on how to protect themselves online through our Safe and Secure Online program, which places certified cyber security experts into schools free of charge to help kids become educated, conscientious, responsible digital citizens.
Safe and Secure Online volunteer and (ISC)² member Gary Alu, CISSP, won the Executive Women’s Forum Cyber Security Schools Challenge award for his efforts in helping students learn how to protect themselves online. Gary volunteered his personal time over an eight month period, reaching more than 5,300 students in his hometown of Las Vegas, NV, more than any other individual Challenge participant. Educating children on issues like social networking, cyber bullying, viral e-mails, “sexting,” malware, spam, and identity theft is crucial to the future of cyber security. Gary and our other Safe and Secure Online volunteers are making a real impact in kids’ lives year-round by empowering them with critical knowledge.
Volunteers like Gary are quick to share how rewarding it is to participate in the program. You can volunteer anytime as often as you like. To learn more or to sign up, please visit https://cyberexchange.isc2.org/safe-secure.aspx .
We also recognized the recipients of this year’s U.S. Government Information Security Leadership Awards (GISLA) during the Month in the categories of Community Awareness, Federal Contractor, Process/Policy Improvement, Technology Improvement and Workforce Improvement. Our global awards program is another way in which we aim to keep cyber security awareness on our minds throughout the year.
Cyber security awareness should be an ongoing campaign. Cyber predators and other criminals never rest – why should we?