October 1 marks the start of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), according to Jon Cutler, chief information security officer at Marshall. NCSAM is an annual, month-long effort to increase awareness and prevention of online security problems, spearheaded by the U.S .Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). This year’s theme is “Our Shared Responsibility.”
“Cyber Security Awareness is important to because each of us has a responsibility to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information in today’s highly-networked system environment,” Cutler said.
Cybersecurity does not have to be complicated, he added. Throughout the month of October, the Marshall University Division of Information Technology and Office of Information Security will share newsletter topics and quick tips that demonstrate how students, faculty and staff can stay safe and secure online.
“We encourage you to follow our daily updates via Twitter @MUITServiceDesk #CyberAware and share the website URL www.marshall.edu/IT/NCSAM2015 with family and friends,” he said.
Many of the tips will echo themes from the “Stop. Think. Connect. Campaign,” an ongoing public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the public to be more safe and secure online.
Stop: before you use the Internet, take time to understand the risks and learn how to spot potential problems. Think: take a moment to be certain the path ahead is clear. Consider how your actions online could impact your safety, or your family’s. Connect: Enjoy the Internet with greater confidence knowing you have taken the right steps to safeguard yourself and your computer.