As we turn the calendar to October, it’s time to recognize National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. We at ISA take the approach that every month is cybersecurity month, but we’re putting a little extra emphasis on the message for the next 31 days. Today we have a look at some of the top resources for NCAM: save or share this page for some great sources of information to help you and your organization recognize and sharpen your cybersecurity awareness at home and at work.
Canadian Government
Under the banner “Get Cyber Safe”, the Canadian government has developed a special CSAM 2020 page full of tips and resources, largely targeted at individuals and small businesses. They’ve broken October into five segments, and are providing a special focus each week, including Taking Stock, Phone Week, Computer Week, Network Week, and Smart Device Week.
All Get Cyber Safe resources – including all of the featured CSAM 2020 tools – are available on their Resource Page. Follow them on Twitter at @GetCyberSafe.
U.S. Government
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – has followed suit. In partnership with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), they have created a National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) landing page. They have split the month and voluminous resources along different focal lines: after a two-day kickoff, they feature information under the banners, “If You Connect It, Protect It”, “Securing Devices at Home and Work”, “Securing Internet-Connected Devices in Healthcare”, and “The Future of Connected Devices”. The two organizations also have a podcast discussing some of this year’s initiatives.
CISA has also developed a “Stop. Think. Connect.” toolkit with a host of materials suitable for sharing with staff to help strengthen their cyber savvy. Follow CISA on Twitter at @CISAgov and the NCSA at @StaySafeOnline (formerly @NatlCyberSecAlliance).
Europe
The E.U. has its own dedicated website for promoting cyber awareness month. In operation since 2012, the site acts as a central repository for literally hundreds of activities, promotions, virtual events and conferences across the European Union and parts of Africa. It also has a wealth of tips and useful information to offer. Follow them on Twitter at @CyberSecMonth.
SANS Institute
SANS has tied their promotion into the CISA and NCSA initiatives, but also offers additional information and resources on their Getting Ready for October Awareness Month. Follow them on Twitter at @SANSAwareness.
Infosec Institute
Infosec offers a free download kit of materials and electronic posters, and a campaign package of 21 “Old West”-themed training and awareness tools. The lighthearted kit educates as it entertains, and is even structured to tie into security month; for example, as days go by, the kit offers timed “reveals” of clues on tracking down cyber varmints.
ISACA
While Infosec is using a western motif, ISACA has gone super-hero with their “Capes On” promotion for awareness month. They are offering weekly, limited-time specials on certification training during the October event.
University of Toronto
Historically partnered with the Government of Ontario, the U of T supports cybersecurity awareness month with resources and information focused on students, but freely available and relevant to anyone who spends time online. Their CSAM 2020 portal has a schedule of planned events and postings, and new materials will be added regularly. A number of other schools and universities in Canada and beyond are planning online activities to be posted later in October: check with your school’s website regularly for more details as they emerge.
Social Media
LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook will be abuzz with awareness news and events throughout the course of October. In addition to following some of the institutions cited above, consider following #cybersecurityawarenessmonth, #nationalcybersecurityawarenessmonth, #ncsam or #ncsam2020 for the latest trending topics from in and around the industry.
ISA Cybersecurity
Once these sites have whetted your appetite to improve your cybersecurity awareness, ISA is ready to help you on your journey. We can assist with all your training and awareness initiatives. We can start with project-based consultations and risk assessments to help you define your areas of risk if you need guidance. And we’ve found one of most sought-after offerings, particularly with so many people working from home during the pandemic, is our “as-a-service” cybersecurity awareness training. We can offer over 150 specific modules that we can match to your areas of concern; we will handle the invitations, testing, tracking, and reporting for your staff. And when the training is complete, we can help you identify areas where your team is strong, and other places where they need additional coaching. With a small investment of time and resources, you can help strengthen that last line of defense against crippling ransomware attacks and potential insider threats. Check out our blog post for more information on awareness training, or simply contact us today to learn more and get started – what better time than National Cybersecurity Awareness Month?
ISA has also developed a formidable library of focused resources and current events reporting in our Cyber Threat Blog. Sign up for our monthly newsletter – ISA CyberCast. Check out our archives and subscribe, or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.