October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) — the time of the year cybersecurity experts team up to raise awareness about cybersecurity. And because our passion lies in protecting businesses, employees, and customers from online attacks, malware, data loss, and other digital threats, we wanted to help raise awareness about some great ways businesses can bolster the strength of their cybersecurity knowledge and practices.
Take Part in October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Themes
Every week in October is dedicated to a different cybersecurity theme and message. Events across the nation will focus on the following weekly themes:
Week 1: October 2-6, 2017 — Simple Steps to Online Safety
Week 2: October 9-13, 2017 — Cybersecurity in the Workplace is Everyone’s Business
Week 3: October 16-20, 2017 — Today’s Predictions for Tomorrow’s Internet
Week 4: October 23-27, 2017 —The Internet Wants YOU: Consider a Career in Cybersecurity
Week 5: October 30-31— Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Threats
Read more about each week’s cybersecurity theme here.
Cybersecurity Awareness Toolkit
If you learn nothing else during National Cyber Security Awareness Month, make sure you understand the steps required to create a cyber-secure workplace, as creating and maintaining a secure digital workplace relies on 5 actionable steps. Get your cybersecurity toolkit ready by creating a plan that focuses on:
- Identifying Your Critical Assets
- Protecting Your Critical Assets
- Detecting Incidents and Threats
- Responding With a Pre-Planned Action
- Recovering From Threats
(Click the first word on each numbered heading to learn more.)
Gain More Cybersecurity Awareness
Getting your business’ cybersecurity toolkit in order requires knowledge and understanding. Here are three ways you can start building your knowledge base, effectively decreasing your business’ chances of becoming a target of malware, phishing scams, data loss, and other threats.
- Take a cybersecurity workshop.
Learn how to identify and prioritize your business’ cybersecurity actions with the National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NCSA) CyberSecure My Business workshops. Hosted in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the CyberSecure My Business workshops are a great way for businesses of all sizes to learn how to be safer online and integrate cybersecurity practices in your business. At the CyberSecure My Business workshops, participants will find live, in-person, and interactive workshops featuring simple, introductory-level translations of (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, which helps businesses of all sizes identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover from cybersecurity risks, along with scenario-based lessons that help business owners think about appropriate actions to take to secure data and thwart cyber thieves. For more information on these workshops, contact info@staysafeonline.com.
- Watch cybersecurity webinars.
Learn more about keeping your business secure online from the comfort of your home. If you have a small to medium-sized business, you may be interested in NCSA’s cybersecurity webinars. They’ll be available every second Tuesday of the month, from 2-3 p.m. EST, starting October 10, 2017. Topics range from cybersecurity tips for small businesses, ransomware and phishing, identifying key assets and data, protecting key assets and data, detecting breaches, creating a response plan, and understanding what recovery looks like. Get event details and RSVP here.
- Get a free network assessment.
Find out what issues your business’ network and system may have — before it’s too late. As a vital part of your cybersecurity toolkit, knowing your company’s system weaknesses is the best way to ensure that you aren’t susceptible to malware, breaches, and data loss. With our free initial network assessment, we identify the problems that make you vulnerable. Our goal is to make sure the unforeseen never happens, but if it does, we want to make sure your business is ready to respond and recover. Clients receive quarterly network assessments to ensure that everything continues to be in optimal working order. Contact Integracon here for your free cybersecurity network assessment.
Are You Cyber Aware?
This month, join the thousands of business owners who are dedicating themselves to learning more about keeping their business secure on the web, through the Cloud, and all things digital. For more cybersecurity tips, and to see what others are posting on social media this month, follow the NCSAM’s hashtag #CyberAware.
