Cybersecurity Awareness Month is held every October. It was established in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance to help individuals stay safe online and support organisations in protecting their data, systems, and people.
This year’s theme is “Secure Our World!” — a reminder that we can all take simple, everyday actions to protect ourselves, our families, and our businesses from online threats.
Even with the amazing advances in technology we have seen in recent years, the basics still matter and are key to keeping our world safe.
The Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign highlights four simple steps to stay safe online:
- Use strong passwords and a password manager
- Turn on multifactor authentication
- Keep your software up to date
- Recognise and report phishing
According to the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s 2023 Oh Behave! report:
- 84% of people consider online safety a priority
- Only 38% use unique passwords for all their accounts
- Around a third started using a password manager after receiving cyber training
- 79% are familiar with multifactor authentication (MFA)
- 70% of those aware of MFA know how to use it
- Only 36% always install software updates when available
- 69% are confident in their ability to identify phishing attempts
- 51% of Americans actively report cybercrimes, particularly phishing
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is supported by corporations, government agencies, schools, tribes, non-profits, and professionals dedicated to cybersecurity education and safeguarding our communities.
As a cybersecurity training provider, Red Education is proud to use its resources to promote Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Our mission is to help protect the world’s organisations against cyber attacks by training skilled personnel – our frontline of defence.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which leads the campaign, and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA), create resources to help organisations educate their employees and customers about staying safe online. You can download the Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024 Toolkit Guide from our website.
