It’s that time of year again: Cybersecurity Awareness Month! We’re diving into the world of cybersecurity like a hacker in a candy store—except we’re here to keep the candy (your data) safe! We’re breaking down how you can use the free CE Awareness Month toolkit to boost your cybersecurity game both in your business and at home. Whether you’re an IT pro or someone who just learned how to turn on two-factor authentication, we’ve got tips, tricks, and a few laughs to help you navigate the digital wild west. So buckle up and let’s secure our world, one strong password at a time!
In this episode:
Using Free CSAM Toolkit – Ep 474
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In the news
[03:37]Suspected cyberattack outage continues at Port of Seattle, causing chaos at SeaTac Airport
Cyber Attacks on Railway Systems Increase by 220%
Planes, Trains and……..
Using Free CSAM Toolkit
[08:48]Cybersecurity Awareness Month | CISA – Home page for CSAM
Secure Our World | CISA – Year round CISA program for security awareness information.
How to Get Involved in Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024 – Webinar recorded by CISA discussing what it is and how to get involved.
Download resources without signing up as a Champion – Secure Our World Resources & Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024 Toolkit | CISA
Latest SOW PSA – We Can Secure Our World Joan the Phone – kind of mimicking Schoolhouse Rock in style but no way to be as catchy on the tunes. Singing along with “I’m just a bill sitting here on capitol hill” and “conjunction junction what’s your function” still pops into my head all the time. I also sing the preamble to the US Constitution even when reading it. I will admit that Joan the Phone is pretty funny though.
[18:31] All the content is staying with the general theme started last year. They updated a few things and added some others. The “core”, as they call it, is the focus on 4 behaviors that should help us be more secure if we all did them.- Use Strong Passwords And A Password Manager
- Turn On Multifactor Authentication
- Update Your Software
- Recognize And Report Phishing
If you are active on social media they ask that you use the hashtags for promoting your content: #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth and #SecureOurWorld. The kit includes ready to use social media posts and graphics that you can add your own logo to for posting. It even shows you where to add them in the guide.
It is great to see they are including AI tips this year.
TIP: Treat AI as a helpful tool rather than a replacement for your skills.
They even have puzzles this year!
Teach Others How to Stay Safe Online: Volunteer Toolkit – National Cybersecurity Alliance
You can ask for a CISA speaker any time but they have a special push during CSAM. By the time this comes out it will be past the Aug 30th deadline. However, they do have a new feature. If you are willing to teach others about cybersecurity they have a sign up for participating. You get a prebuilt set of 4 sample PowerPoint presentations with speaker notes plus a tip sheet. The intent is that you can use it to present to kids, teens, older adults and the general public.
The Plan
[35:59]1 – Start by sending an email out to your lists or your audience. There is even a draft copy with a suggested subject line. Of course, I would pump that through my customized GPT to communicate the message in my voice.
2 – Do a press release. Maybe you don’t want to do a real press release but you could also use this as a memo or promotional flier within your organization. Since it looks like a press release it is something different.
3 – Get leadership involved with sending out messages or even the ones above. Coming up with ones they send themselves that they use in response to your announcements would be good. The point that your message is further supported by leadership is powerful.
4 – Select options for you campaign from their list of content and ideas:
- Contests
- Events
- Gamification
- Incentives
- Build an info booth
- Training events
- Special handouts
5 – Make sure you end the month with a recap just to reiterate everything you did trying to get their attention.
They also include ideas for using the information at home. I suggest you consider using this section to build a kit for your employees to take home and use themselves. Doing it at home means you are more likely to do it at work plus we need cyber-educated youth!
There’s More!
Cybersecurity Career Week | NIST – Learn about cybersecurity careers during career week Oct 14-19, 2024. NICE is a great resource for learning that it isn’t just highly technical professionals but many different skills are required.
The most important point in the guide is this one, though:
Remember that cybersecurity education isn’t limited to October!
Use these messages to educate your organization and community all year long!
And there you have it, folks! We’ve unpacked the Cybersecurity Awareness Month toolkit, shared our love for strong passwords, and even sang a little “Schoolhouse Rock” along the way. Remember, cybersecurity isn’t just a buzzword or a box to check off once a year—it’s a habit, a lifestyle, and your best defense against the digital boogeyman. So, whether you’re safeguarding sensitive patient info at work or just trying to keep your kids from clicking on sketchy links at home, make this October (and every month!) your personal Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Stay vigilant, stay secure, and hey, maybe even have some fun while you’re at it!
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