National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2009.

This month, October 2009, marks the 6th anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the United States, and President Obama has issued a presidential proclamation regarding this event. The use of technology has been a staple of the current administration’s public discussions, and online security concerns have been a part of the conversation from the beginning. President Obama spoke about the the need for securing the US cyber infrastructure during a speech in May of this year, noting:

America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.

Clearly internet security will continue to be an important topic for American families, businesses, and government networks now and in the future. As part of the information campaign surrounding National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the Department of Homeland Security website lists 3 core practices they recommend, which include topics we discussed in our blog post regarding the basics of Internet security:

• Install antivirus and antispyware programs and keep them up to date,
• Install a firewall and keep it properly configured, and
• Regularly install updates for your computer’s operating system.

 

There are many events planned for National Cyber Security Awareness Month on a national as well as a state level, and we encourage you to attend and/or view them online and use that information as a base to evaluate your current cyber security level and update if necessary. For more information on National Cyber Security Awareness Month or government recommendations on cyber security, please visit StaySafeOnline.org.