Do Your Part. Be Cyber Smart. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Have you ever had a friend who was so passionate about a topic that they became known in your circle for being an expert? Not only are they happy to share their knowledge, but they’re more than a little excited when it comes to analyzing your behavior as it relates to that topic, and convincing you that a change may be in your best interest.

Well, we are that friend when it comes to cyber security, and we’ve got some things to talk about with you. Of course, we’re happy to talk about cyber security any time, but October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and we’re on a mission to make “Do Your Part. Be Cyber Smart.” become as memorable and impactful a public service announcement as Smokey the Bear’s famous line – “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.”

What is Cybersecurity Awareness Month?

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an annual campaign that’s focused on increasing public awareness of the role that individuals and organizations play in effective cyber security. Launched by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the US Department of Homeland Security in 2004, Cybersecurity Awareness Month revolves around different weekly themes.

With an increase in cyber attacks on businesses of all sizes, it’s crucial that anyone who uses a computer for work is aware of how attacks happen, how to spot them, how to prevent them, and what to do in the case of an attack. Because of this need, VC3 will be sharing articles, videos, tips, tricks, and other helpful information every weekday throughout the month of October.

2021 Cybersecurity Themes

Here are the themes for 2021 and a sample of what we’ll be sharing with you. Make sure you follow VC3’ company pages on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, to be first in line to receive these resources that you can pass along to your team.

Week 1 – Be Cyber Smart

This first week is all about owning your role in cyber security and implementing security best practices. With a focus on basic cyber security awareness, we’ll be sharing such topics as ransomware education, drills you can run at your office, and how cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility.

Week 2 – Fight the Phish

Cyber criminals know that humans are the weakest link in a businesses’ security. So the first step in keeping your data safe is learning why and how they rely on manipulation and trickery to get you to do something that will install malware or give them quick monetary gain.

With a heavy focus on education to help you learn how to stay protected, we’ll be talking about basic phishing awareness (Phishing 101), how to spot various phishing attempts, what you need to know about social engineering, and more.

Week 3 – Cyber Security Career Awareness Week

There’s currently a shortage of cyber security professionals across all sectors, and it’s only going to get worse. As of August 2021, an estimated 465,000 cyber jobs needed to be filled in the US. It’s become such a risk to everything from small businesses to national security that an Executive Order was issued to address the problem.

With an urgent need to fill cyber security positions nationwide, we’ll be sharing topics related to cyber security jobs and training, and we’ll be sharing insight from respected cyber security professors and professionals.

⭐Related: We’re hiring! Check out our open positions

Week 4 – Cybersecurity First

Here at VC3, security is a top priority, and it should be for you too. So we’ll share resources that will help you train and reinforce secure behavior so that security isn’t an afterthought.

We’ll wrap up our month-long focus on cyber security, ensuring that you’re properly educated so you can make the right cyber security decisions for your business. We’ll discuss topics such as securing endpoints, general online safety, and how to take action with everything you’ve learned. So whether you’re looking for an outsourced company to help with your security needs, or you’d like to staff the position yourself, you’ll be thoroughly equipped to start the process of keeping your business cyber safe.

Follow VC3 on LinkedIn to Get Cyber Security Resources

We have a huge library of content about cyber security that we’re adding to all the time as the cyber crime landscape evolves. Follow us on LinkedIn to get updates in your news feeds all throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month and beyond.

Remember – Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart