What is Cybersecurity Awareness Month?   

Cybersecurity awareness month is a recurring month-long celebration to help organisations become more cyber-aware and create safe and secure online resources. As a result of our personal and professional lives becoming indistinguishable in the online and offline sphere, ensuring our security is essential in every setting.   

Cybersecurity Awareness Month UK Theme 2021   

The theme of this year’s cybersecurity awareness month is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” The theme of promoting organisational and individual responsibility for cybersecurity reflects implementing stronger security practices, raising community awareness, educating vulnerable audiences, and training employees.   

This helps to highlight the best security practices and general focus on cyber hygiene to keep your individual and organisational data safe from potential malicious attackers. From endpoint security and vulnerability management to creating strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication, Sapphire’s services cover necessary cybersecurity practices.

Metacompliance suggests that:

National Cyber Security Awareness Month is more important than ever, with the stark rise in phishing attacks and cyber attacks now occurring every 39 seconds. In fact, 64% of companies worldwide have experienced at least one form of cyber attack, and perhaps more worrying is that 90% of all cyber attacks are caused by human error. Such statistics highlight the ongoing threat that organisations face, and the need to ensure cyber security awareness at all levels. 

For more information and to access free security awareness month assets, follow this link.

Sapphire Cyber Security- cyber threats to the national cyber security centre

Stay Safe Online suggests that you:   

‘Own your role in cybersecurity by starting with the basics. Creating strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication, backing up your data, and updating your software are great places to start. This is a great way to Do Your Part #BeCyberSmart!’   

Sapphire Cyber Security- cyber security breaches compromising data security

History of Cybersecurity Awareness Month U.K.   

Cybersecurity awareness month was created by the allegiance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance back in 2004 and has grown in popularity year on year.  

Although this month-long event first started, it focused on awareness and giving advice; it has now grown to incorporate awareness campaigns such as   

  • Ransomware  
  • General public Cybersecurity Awareness  
  • Bringing together different industry participants   
  • And more  

There have been a variety of different themes. Between 2009 and 2018, the month’s theme was called “Our Shared Responsibility”, which suggested that all digital users, from enterprises to individuals, need to be cyber-aware to keep us safe and secure.   

Sapphire Cyber Security- European cyber security month to help cyber resilience

There have been many participants in Cybersecurity Awareness Month, such as DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano back in 2009. In 2010 during the STOP. THINK. CONNECT campaign, former U.S. President Barack Obama used this phrase as a national cybersecurity education and awareness message.   

Cybersecurity Awareness Month has also had many themes to help articulate the different aspects of cybersecurity, such as education, cybercrime, law enforcement, mobility, and critical infrastructure for any organisation from small to large.   

Stephane Nappo even suggests that:

“The five most efficient cyber defenders are: Anticipation, Education, Detection, Reaction and Resilience. Do remember: “Cybersecurity is much more than an I.T. topic.”   

Sapphire Cyber Security- national cyber security awareness to help you stay safe online

Security is for Life, not just October.   

Reflecting on NCSAM 2020, Jamie Akhtar, CEO and co-founder of CyberSmart, told The Daily Swig:

“I think national awareness months are great.   

“They bring important topics that might linger in ‘specialist’ forums or publications to the forefront.   

“Cybersecurity can be daunting, but hopefully, during NSCAM, people learn enough to understand that a) it’s not as difficult as they thought, b) it’s a critical part of sagely navigating the internet, and c) its useful well outside October!”   

For more information on how to keep your organisation cyber-smart all year round, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.  

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